Villa Mink
Drama, Short Films, Western, 04-Nov-2024
A young man drives across the vast exteriors of Kansas in anticipation of a lover's rendezvous. Darron Carswell’s “Villa Mink” is a contained, slow-burn look at a young man’s night in solitude. Rudy Ford rides the interstate, taking a rest at a road-side motel where there’s the possibility of meeting his romantic other, Sally. It’s not exactly clear what Rudy expects will happen overnight, maybe nothing at all, but there’s only so much for a man to do while he waits. There’s a few mildly surprising interactions — he’s visited by a clerk with a bucket of ice and also decides to step out for a drink at the bar; but, for the most part, Rudy is left waiting and wondering. Shot in black and white, the film moves at its own Jarmusch-ian pace and renders timeless stylistic tones with shades of noir and westerns. -JM. Director: Darron Carswell. Cast: Solomon Alpert, Rita McKinley, Douglas Wells, Jr., Maxx Brown, Shannon Daily, Dennis Copp, Joe Link, Kristen Bontrager. Editor: Lucas Copaleen. Writers-Producers: Darron Carswell, Douglas Wells, Jr.