The Gas Cafe

Jean Paul Sartre's classic one-act play "No Exit" is remembered more for its philosophical themes than for its narrative. The play is composed of one set, a few characters and a lot of dialogue centering around an existentialist dilemma. The characters are in a room, which represents hell, and they are tortured by the eternal interactions with each other.

One set stories aren't as easy to construct in film, because it is demanding for the writer to only have only one location, spanning three acts, to wring out drama that is heavy enough to sustain the audience's attention. Brian De Palma struggled to make one set interesting in "Snake Eyes," but other films like "Tape," "Two Guys and a Girl" and "Phone Booth" shine, because they rely on plot-relevant dialogue and sharp twists to keep the audience engrossed in the story.

Kelley Baker's film "The Gas Cafe" was funded from welfare checks, probably because he couldn't afford many more locations than one. It isn't obvious that finance was the only reason Baker chose to do his film in one set, however. The film is interesting, sporadically funny, well-plotted and more complete than one might expect. Following a similar structure of "No Exit," Baker's story uses an earthly set to resemble a purgatory-like, spiritual netherworld. Also, its themes are deeply rooted in the inevitable, existential dilemma of death.

The film steps in the wrong direction when it tries to fully realize its supernatural elements. There is a character who is a guardian angel who patiently waits for another character, who is a stubborn dead man. The existence of these characters are clumsily explained. A better idea would have been to keep a distance from the physical reality of the otherworldly characters. Instead of being delightfully mysterious apparitions, the otherworldly characters become absurd. The whole point of magical realism is to use extraordinary events as if they were ordinary. Wim Wenders' treatment of angels in "Wings of Desire" was able to seamlessly establish reality from fantasy, because the audience was intoxicated by the magical story throughout. It didn't matter how the angels were able to hover around earth- just like it shouldn't have mattered here. Since Baker uses earthly explanations, he allows too many holes in the plot to be shown.

"The Gas Cafe" still is able to entertain and ask meaningful questions throughout, though. Even though the characters aren't always consistent, the actors turn in very sincere performances. Baker's history as a sound designer benefits this film as well. The sound is very professional and detailed...right down to each crackling burn of a cigarette. The movie has a minimalist feel, partially due to the 30p cinematography, but Baker harnesses his limited resources to allow a tight focus on character and story.

I liked this movie because it is made with a sheer sense of independence. Baker seems like a risk-taker, and the risk of using one set for a feature sprang good results. Baker skilfully uses Sarte-esquire themes and makes them interesting enough to fill out a feature.