The Misogynist (Short)
“The Misogynist” begins with a photographer (Pascal Yen-Pfister) telling his wife (Rhea Sandstrom) about a dream he has had. They have children in the dream, and they are going on vacation when a pack of wolves descend upon them. That’s how one dream ends, but he has another one where the wolves attack and begin to maul the family. This time, the photographer has a gun, and he takes out a few of the wolves before he shoots his family so that they won’t die at the wolves’s teeth. Our main character, Harlan, has creative block, and his talent agent (Timothy J. Cox) has an idea that it has to do with his wife. This inspires Harlan, and after some contemplation, he may, in fact, have some new ideas on how to get that creativity back, but they may, very well, alienate him from Allison, his wife, and there’s a bit of a dark streak to it.
Despite a provocative-sounding title, Chai Dingari’s film is actually pretty slight. There’s only one real burst of dramatic tension throughout the film, but that doesn’t mean the film lacks energy or interest. The actors do a fine job at bringing their characters to life, with Yen-Pfister doing very well at letting us into Harlan’s mindset. Everything we see and hear in the film is building to it’s climax, but believe me when I tell you it’s a finale you will not see coming. A more provocative film befitting the tone of the name may not have been as satisfying.
The Misogynist from Chai Dingari on Vimeo.
