Review from the selection committee of the 2012 Rochester International Film Festival: Slant

All our judges agreed that you very poignantly yet subtly depicted the impact of the loss of a loved one to his gay partner. Your film was emotionally charged and its mood was nicely supported by a well chosen haunting soundtrack.

We discussed the numerous cinematic qualities of your film such as a steady camera, a wide variety of camera angles, interesting shots such as the shadows at the beginning of the film that one judge interpreted as allegoric, a tight editing with effective scene transition, authentic heartfelt acting, beautiful lighting, excellent photography, very good script writing with “economy of language” and great character development.

Review from the Santa Fe Film Festival : Slant

At first, you might think you are watching a clip from GODS AND MONSTERS where James Whale has an ill-fated crush on the super handsome gardener. While the beginning is similar in SLANT (14 min.), it curves deliciously to reveal a deeper, more compassionate story about older love, finding it, and moving on. I cried in this one. Very nicely done.

Review by Amos Lassen

Finding Love

I have just had the pleasure of watching an amazing new short film from Steve Soucy, the wonderful mind behind Modernist Press. Here is a film that many of us should have no problem identifying with as the search for love is something we have all experienced. Set in Palm Springs, a college professor, Ash (Christopher Fairbanks), in his 50′s looks for romance. He lost his partner to AIDS some time ago and now he is ready to start to live again. The film is inspired by a poem by the Belle of Amherst, Emily Dickinson and she is not just the inspiration as she can be felt throughout the film.

Ash, like so many of us, is blinded by the vigor and beauty of youth and in his case, Luis (David Calderon), the gardener is the object of his feeling. Even more surprising is that Luis shows a knowledge of Dickinson and Ash senses a connection only to be turned down for a drink and then stood up for dinner. By chance he meets a new neighbor, Patrick (Granville Armes), and after a pleasant conversation and a tentative meeting set, Patrick shows up at Ash’s apartment with a bottle of wine and the two share the dinner that Ash had prepared for Luis.

Sometimes we just read signals wrong as Ash did when he assumed that Luis’ love for Dickinson would be a step to coming together. Realizing that perhaps he has made a mistake, Ash ultimately finds someone with whom he shares a history like his own and that coming together was completely natural and required no preparation.

It is amazing how much we see in such a short film (some 14 minutes). I thought it particularly interesting that when Ash thought that he was going to have time with Luis, he was careful in what he chose to wear and how to prepare for dinner while with Patrick no preparation was necessary. So often we, as older men, are flattered when a young person pays attention to us and we read the signals wrong. It is that much easier to be with someone with whom there are commonalities than it is to train someone to like what we like. It is also easier (albeit lonelier) to let things happen naturally.

We do not often see films in which “older” men find love and each other and seeing that here was fresh and new. I must mention the beautiful music score and the actors who are so good that we easily feel what they do.

Check your local LGBT Film Festivals schedules—you do not want to miss “Slant”.