In deadCenter 2019’s Love, Sex, and Death Shorts block, creative filmmakers explore relationships in refreshing, fun ways, with female voices and performers especially given chances to shine.
The program opens with Stepdaddy, a snappy comedic piece directed by Lisa Steen and featuring writer/producer Lauren Blumenfeld. The short is a smart, well-written portrayal of womanhood at its most desperate, with a brilliant last-minute cameo that we won’t spoil. But Blumenfeld, who was present at the screening, revealed that the well-known actor made his appearance asking for nothing more than a bottle of tequila as payment.
The rest of the block features several women in performances that run the gamut from wonderfully ridiculous (Baggage) to heartbreaking (Washed Away) to slightly macabre (Grams).
Baggage is a nice bit of magical realism that tackles the psychological burden that both women and men carry in the form of disparaging inner voices. It just so happens that this short’s protagonist, Maddie (Allison Spence Brown, who also wrote and produced), is followed around by imaginary versions of all her ex-boyfriends. A pretend version of her reproachful father also shows up to comment on her clothing and choices, naturally. This one will probably hit hilariously close to home for some viewers.
Washed Away is one of the block’s more serious entries, an exploration of the aftermath of a young couple’s first sexual tryst in the setting of a conservative evangelical church. Writer/director Ben Kallam grew up in Alabama, and he portrays an arresting, authentic version of a youth church in his short. Although I would have liked to see a more fully realized conclusion to this one, it still is quite capably made and emotionally effective.
French-language Grams (also known as Petites filles) ends the program. It follows multi-generational women dealing with the death of their family matriarch. Caroline and her daughter Rosalie show up for the funeral, but Caroline realizes her mother, Odile, might not be ready to let go yet. It was refreshing to see a cast comprised exclusively of vibrant women on screen, confronting each other in big, realistic ways.
The rest of the shorts are just as well made and on theme. Formaldehyde is another standout. Gorgeously shot and featuring John Reynolds (of Search Party and Stranger Things fame) as a lonely, quiet coroner who imagines himself speaking to the dead, it’s a touching, high-concept addition to the program. Lina (also in French) is cute but a little overlong, even at nine minutes. It introduces a nine-year-old girl who begs her mother to teach her to kiss, so she can impress her new crush.
Mika Orr’s Professional Cuddler offers a charming, tech-savvy look at modern long-distance relationships. A young Israeli trumpet player living in New York makes extra money cuddling with elderly clients, which upsets his girlfriend the first time they meet. Hardcore movie fans will probably recognize character actor Dana Ivey in this one.
When and Where to Watch Love, Sex, and Death Shorts
deadCenter 2019 – Sat, Jun 8th, 7:45 PM @ American Fidelity Theater at Harkins Bricktown Cinema
