Set primarily in one room and in real-time, Caleb Neet (Jared) stars in Gordon James Asti’s 37-minute psychological drama ‘Life of the Party’.
The short opens with 5-minutes of suicidal chaos as our main character contemplates ending his life. Haunted by his past, Jared battles relentlessly with his existence – a mental state seemingly in disrepair. Although the persistent rattling of prescription medication makes for irritating viewing, it forces the audience to encompass the mayhem.
Jared’s attempt is hastily put aside as he is visited by several significant individuals from his life – seemingly from a party occurring outside his bedroom door. Caleb Neet’s performance of a dishevelled manic-depressive is remarkable and executed cautiously. Visual storytelling that evokes such a tough subject matter can be challenging to pull off tastefully. However, under Asti’s careful script and direction, the trauma is convincingly felt and we are quickly rooting for the protagonist’s recovery.
The high-quality choppy cinematography aids the core themes and captures the real-time atmosphere finely. Several musical soundtracks are played throughout – assumedly to enhance the emotion – but at times felt unnecessary. Producing a 37-minute real-time short, in mostly one location, is not an easy task for even the most accomplished craftsman. Gordon James Asti and his cast/crew deliver a respectable film that is fittingly poetic.
