Obsolescence (Short)
Another movie, another genre for director Jakob Bilinski. Returning to the realm of short film after his flawed but compelling feature “Shade of Grey,” Bilinski and his frequent collaborator Scott Ganyo (from personal fave indie “Zorg and Andy”) decide to tell a story of obsession as Nick (Ganyo) investigates his wife’s recent, sudden passing.
The first thing we see is Nick holding a woman hostage. Taped to a chair in an empty room, Nick never resorts to physical torture, but his rage in trying to find the truth is palpable. We then see a scene with him and his wife Annie (Jen Lilley) to give us a glimpse of what was lost, as the film will move back and forth through time as he tries to piece the truth together.
Bilinski and Ganyo collaborated on the screenplay (based on a concept by Bilinski’s wife), which has a massive twist in store that I never saw coming. The result has elements of a Christopher Nolan film (“Memento” in particular came to mind) mixed with Philip K. Dick, although I’m sure both of those masters could’ve really made this premise sing. Bilinski has the chops as a filmmaker to make it work, though. He uses style, intelligence and the strong performances of his cast (which includes Luca Ellis as Detrick) to tell a fascinating and poignant story that looks at the nature of love with an original eye. I look forward to seeing what actor and director have for us in the future.
