Who's it for?: Fans of David Lynch or Alfred Hitchcock who don't have a lot of time or money and are a bit brokenhearted, possibly for the recently dumped
Who made it?: Manic Baby Studio -- Justin Hannah and Abbra Smallwood
Where is it?: Distributed through Indieflix!
Length: 19 min
As brief and transient as life is, the pursuit of love can sometimes become a maddening descent into selfish coveting. Desperate singles are sometimes tempted by the fear of loneliness into venomously competitive feelings of possession of significant others. Is there anything more horrific and endangering than selecting a person as a goal to end such soul-consuming longing? Such longing can only distract an individual from developing a self-assured identity while searching for meaning in life, and any victory hinges upon the appraising judgment of the prized other.
This sort of poisonous temptation and damaging self-delusion is veiled by a romantic noir in the independent short film Consignment, directed by Justin Hannah and produced with him by Abbra Smallwood as Manic Baby Studio. A 1950s period noir with surreal undertones and a cerebral style of storytelling, the film tells the story of a young woman desperate to restore an important romantic relationship she lost via the aid of a mysterious box from a consignment shop. However, the box may not be the ideal answer; it even may corrupt those who possess it. Not every detail of the story is spelled out, and it rewards repeat viewings and careful attention to its scenic design.
My full review of Consignment is available on Rogue Cinema: http://www.roguecinema.com/consignment-2013-by-teresa-d-lee.html
