Telephone Me
Drama, Short Films, 24-Nov-2015
An audacious drama about betrayal and gossip revolving around a college Halloween party gone wrong. A girlfriend cheats on her boyfriend with a man named Goatee Ralph, which sends her boyfriend, Jimmy, spiraling across campus in a rage. The next day, two classmates recount the incident in increasingly graphic detail (what seems like insane embellishment may not be). And then there’s the rapper who can’t stop crying and his b-ball dribbling white boy crony. A strange tale of unruly kids unable to contain themselves. It may take a couple viewings to piece everything together -- it's told in non-chronological order -- but you can feel it right away, a visceral gut punch with loud music and frenetic camerawork. An explosive capture of disturbing behavior in many forms. The film is directed by Michael Demetriou, who is new to NoBudge, and this is certifiably in-your-face filmmaking. More aggressive and unapologetic with every jolt. It may resemble a music video in its wild imagery and time jumps, but it’s grounded with believable performances and gripping vision. I'm eager to see what's next for Demetriou. -KA.