Written and directed by Fabrice Fabzoo Meslin, ‘La carte postale’ is a short action film that delves into the troubled psychology of Florian – the central character. Set in Trouville-sur-Mer in Northern France, the low-budget film (which is partially shot in black and white) explores themes of anxiety, isolation and psychopathic behavior. Nicolas Boulenger leads the cast as Florian, with Lorena Felei as Cécile – Florian’s romantic love interest.
The 4-minute film opens with Florian opening a postcard from Cécile. After expressing her affection towards him, Florian succumbs to unexpected rage and fury – seemingly sparked by memories of their intimate companionship. In an attempt to act on his rage, Florian travels to her home with a firearm – unravelling his deep routed mental fragility.
Despite the film’s low budget production value, the narrative gears off to a promising start – which is unfortunately stalled by the puzzling behavior of the central character. The character’s backstory is woefully unclear – which limits his justification, purpose and goal. The omittance of all dialogue and sound equally fails to aid the overall plot. Instead, the filmmaker has chosen to include an action themed musical soundtrack which results in unsavory viewing. Nicholas Boulenger and Lorena Felei’s performances are miserably weak – which is unsurprising due to the obscure storyline and uninspiring characterization. A forgettable watch.
