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Life of the Party

Synopsis

A man struck by tragedy refuses to leave his apartment while a party blares just outside his door. Guests enter one by one to try and remind him why he should make amends with his past and re-join the party.

Review

4/5
A fittingly poetic psychological drama.
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.

Life of the Party Short Film Review
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.

Cast/Crew

Director(s): Gordon James Asti
Writer(s): Gordon James Asti
Cast: Caleb Neet, Daniel Zacapa, Jaeden Bettencourt, Maggie Blake, Marnie Miller, Preston Flagg, Sarah McDermott
Producer(s): J. Adam Moreno
Director of Photography: Eli Tahan
Animation (if applicable):

Specifications

Genre: ,
Collections:
Country:
Language: English
Year: 2013
Runtime: 37 min

Recommended

Cast/Crew

Director(s): Gordon James Asti
Writer(s): Gordon James Asti
Cast: Caleb Neet, Daniel Zacapa, Jaeden Bettencourt, Maggie Blake, Marnie Miller, Preston Flagg, Sarah McDermott
Producer(s): J. Adam Moreno
Director of Photography: Eli Tahan
Animation (if applicable):

Specifcations

Genre: ,
Collections:
Country:
Language: English
Year: 2013
Runtime: 37 min

Recommended

Life of the Party

Synopsis

A man struck by tragedy refuses to leave his apartment while a party blares just outside his door. Guests enter one by one to try and remind him why he should make amends with his past and re-join the party.

Review

A fittingly poetic psychological drama.

4/5
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.

Life of the Party Short Film Review
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.

Recommended