Written and directed by Doug Vale Gonzalez, ‘Cardigan’ is a short LGBT-themed romance film that explores a young man’s bisexuality. Luis Garcia Fit leads the cast as Seb, who is forced to confront his sexual orientation after a homosexual rendezvous with Kelley (Etienne Cote). Sena Yurika Cagla co-stars as Seb’s long-term fiancée, Leyla. Despite the narrative being billed as a romance, the film falls-short of charming – with low-budget production quality throughout.
The 20-minute film, which could have favorably been severed in half, opens with Seb waking up in the Vancouver apartment of his homosexual affair. Unbeknownst to Seb, his fiancée and his male lover are already acquainted through yoga – which leads to an awkward encounter thereafter.
In spite of the film’s promising log-line, the reality is far from satisfying. Notwithstanding the dire technicality with sound, editing and cinematography – the acting delivery is clumsy, inauthentic and uninspiring. The major flaw of ‘Cardigan’ is within the core-narrative. After Leyla (Seb’s fiancée) discovers his homosexual affair, her response is vastly unrealistic – enough to infuriate the audience.
Gonzalez’s whole-hearted creative intentions are genuinely admirable, but the result is spoilt by drawn-out segments, tasteless music, incompetent theatricals, low-grade editing and unfeasible characterization. Further exploration of the protagonist’s immigrant backstory, his heterosexual relationship and his dabbling of homosexuality would call for more credit. A disheartening watch.
