El Elegante

I saw this film as part of the Alibi Short Film Festival in Albuquerque, NM. Most of the films were nothing but tripe, but El Elegante was so beautiful it made me want to tear my pants off and twirl them around my head. The production design is stellar, reminiscent of the work of Aline Bonetto or David Wasco. There is very little dialogue, but the film is smartly crafted in essence and feel. The characters are quirky, the actors refreshing. Vince Di Meglio and Tim Rasmussen are intelligent absurdists who obviously have a long career ahead of them. Take note.

What a delightful short! Rasmussen and De Miglio draw more interest from each shot than most filmmakers ever get. The colors- a red couch against a green wall, wow- are like candy. With nicely rolling pathos and offbeat dry humor, the characters fill themselves out instantly, even those without dialogue. James Rasmussen's Roberto reminds me of Baru's Socrate in Heavy Metal; a shy yet precocious mute. Darla Gordon's Annabelle is an ingenue vamp without peer. Delicious visuals, a surreal story with a sense of humor, and fun acting. Can't wait to see more from all these folks.