Writer/Director Chris Notarile has carved out an impressive niche in the online filmmaking community through his comic book and fan adaptations...tackling the preconceived notions that it takes a large budget and studio backing to produce quality work that is visually rich and handled incredibly well when the modesty of its creation is taken into consideration.
From playing in the realms of DC and Marvel Comics to paying homage to idol John Carpenter, Chris has assured himself as a storyteller capable of traversing the risky territory of taking established material and interpreting it in his own way while staying respectful to the origins it was born from.
Since, he's crafted a few fan-favorite works of his own, beloved by his 'Blinky' followers...including the devilish Jack & Jill, the Capitalist metaphor of the IPsycho and the possessive basher entity the Dollman, star of his first feature and premiere franchise "Methodic." In light of such achievement, however, one short has stepped up from somewhere very personal and very primal for both Chris and those in the community to which he's a part of...which brings us to the focus of this write up with 2011's "Choice."
"Choice" is a short that focuses on a struggling actress (Kerri Miller) who battles the anxieties of being an upstart in her field as she drowns sorrow in alcohol and peddles her talents to any willing casting director with a phone line. With the weight of failure burdening her, she turns to the only resolution she can find...a fatal one. It is in this emotional flux of contemplating suicide that an apparition appears before her. Put simply, she is Choice (Mandy Evans); a personification of the absolute we must all face when a decision of such magnitude is thrust upon us. It is Choice who advises the actress on her possible fates...and it is choice that the actress must ultimately come to.
From a narrative stand point, the short towers above much of Chris' previous work based upon the simple fact that this subject matter is of the deepest sort. While the majority of his body of work is fictionally based, this strikes the most personal chord I've seen from him yet...being a member of the New York acting community himself, recognizing and understanding the hardships that such a competitive and pulsating environment can provide upon a fragile soul.
"Choice" takes the concept of facing your outcomes and rears it into flesh, finally giving the theme of 'choice' an actual voice with which to speak for itself rather than a character facing it as an omnipotent animal.
What I love about it is that, unlike the more light-hearted and fun fare of paying homage to comic books or horror movies, Notarile truly had something profound to say. That's not to say that there's no skill in having fun with The Joker or The Punisher or Freddy Krueger...but as a strong advocate of writing for oneself first and then considering the audience as a close second, it was excellent to see him take into consideration a subject matter that he identified with on a far more raw and subconscious level.
If he can take other issues and thoughts and opinions and render them into stories in this way, I see a bright future in an already impressive filmography.
The success of "Choice," aside from Notarile's passion for the topic itself, is due in no small part to its talent.
Kerri and Mandy shine in a way that allows for them to both hold center stage without one forsaking it to the other and that can be very difficult, especially in a two-member cast when it usually falls to one or the other in most cases.
Kerri's performance is emotionally authentic, especially in her disintegration early in the piece. This is a portrait of an honest woman who is clearly breaking under the pressures amassing upon her...and yet, in confrontation with Choice, she develops along an arc of self-discovery. It begins in doubt before turning to assurance and she comes out of it a new character; a whole character.
Mandy's performance, for me, seemed strongest in the physical presence...partially in her make-up and costume design but also in her facial mannerisms and body language. The tilt of her head, how her shoulders were held even the tightness in her mouth and how her eyes and eyebrows would react to certain tones in Kerri's voice or in the use of her own words. This is a very subtle approach and it's a rare gift that Mandy truly owns in this role.
The film is cleanly shot within a nearly all-white space, clearly reflecting the blank state to which Choice resides...unhindered by bias or personal aesthetics. Chris' camera work is maturing along with his storytelling; the angles are more composed, the editing a bit more minimal as the overall piece allows the actors the truly reign over all other building blocks of the production. Given the subject matter, this approach works in the film's favor.
The sound design is also particularly interesting once Choice makes her presence known as it becomes a haunting echo with the actress finding herself stuck in a moment of time displacement. It's a bit of texture that enriches the tone and makes the dialog pop just a bit more.
Overall, "Choice" is a piece of power...a power that Chris is just beginning to truly tap into. Above everything, it makes one stop and consider that which is truly most important to you and for that alone it should be commended.
It's a piece that takes an uncompromising look at a sensitive subject...and that look pays off.
I'm looking forward to more work of this sort from Chris. This is definitely a path of storytelling he should explore.
A job well done.
2 out of 2 found this helpful.
Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
