Going into a movie with almost no expectations, and coming out completely impressed is a wonderful thing. Let me be clear reader. "Angel Of Anywhere" is an impressive short film. Although the heart and soul of this title is independent, there is truly nothing indie looking within the seventeen minute length. Nothing at all. Should you find yourself randomly watching this film at some point down the road, unless told by another, you would think it was produced by any one of your favorite studios. An exercise in near flawless design and execution. Don't let the simplistic poster fool you. This film looks great. So what's the story? Well ladies and gents, there really isn't much of one. That's not to say "Angel Of Anywhere" is a random collection of images, rather that it plays like a segment of a larger production. There is a companion piece available, containing what I'm guessing is some background on the film and cast/crew... but I have not read it yet. I do plan on giving it a read, but prefer to let a production speak for itself. I rarely even read descriptions. If I can't surmise the plot simply from watching... well... you get the idea. If you would like to give it a read, the link is listed under the homepage button. Angel, in case you're wondering, is a person. As a matter of fact, he's a dancer working at the "Anywhere" club geared mainly toward lonely woman. Mainly. It's suggested, and shown onscreen, that men do frequent this establishment as well. And why not? Like any club of this nature, "Anywhere" is intended as a stress relief. An escape from the every day grind. This seldom talked about fact of life is why Angel himself, is seemingly the most popular dancer in the house. He listens. He even appears to care for many of the patrons of the club. An all around nice guy who is simply performing a job - because the pay is good. Nothing wrong with that. We all do what we can to get ahead. Early on in the film we get a glimpse of who Angel really is. A fixer. Maybe even a tinkerer. This personality trait is executed brilliantly through-out the production using a simple light bulb. Aside from that, Angel appears to not only dance for his clients... but also listen to them. A far more important trait. Casey Nelson and Kate Murdock, who wrote this film, seemingly put a lot of effort into developing the character of Angel onscreen, and James Kicklighter who directed, made sure these traits were nailed true. That's the thing here. The film we get to see is essentially a "night in the life" set-up. There really isn't much of a story, save an interesting twist on the ending. The entire length of the film is more like an introduction to our leading man. Done well? Hell yes. Entertaining? You bettcha. Anything more than that? Not really. Not yet anyhow. Just little tid-bits of who Angel really is - and the fact that although he's a nice guy, he is human as well. Human to the point of his clients stresses, managing to rub off onto him. There's a scene close to the end where it felt as if the nights activities were really getting under his skin. Involving some speakers. Angel got a tad-bit annoyed, suggesting that yes... he is a tinkerer... and yes... the problems of others can wear him down as well. I thought this was a great touch, almost as great as the ending itself. Another point of interest is the onscreen talent. The experience of the cast completely matches the experienced production crew. Some really great performances exist. Angel himself, played by Axel Roldos, feels almost perfect. A real person who happened to be caught on camera for seventeen minutes. I simply can't stress enough how excellently this production flows onscreen. From the technical to the acting. It's all really top notch. Finally, as I've been writing this entire time, this really is a visually excellent film. The only thing for me, is that it simply felt like a really long character introduction. That's the thing really. At seventeen minutes, it's really hard to consider it as an introduction piece. Yet not a lot happens to really consider it a true film. It's somewhere in the middle. Yes. There is a "point" to the onscreen action, but it still only feels like a scene, not a movie. And yet... as pure entertainment... I was hooked. I'm not totally sure what the plans are, if any, for this character down the road... but for now and as a stand-alone piece, "Angel Of Anywhere" does the trick and will easily keep your eyes onscreen. An example of how to do things right.
