REVIEWS FOR INDEPENDENT FILM, LOW BUDGET FILM, SHORT FILM & WEB SERIES
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That little voice in your head? The way you squirm when called upon to speak... or do anything public? That overpowering feeling you're just not good enough? At anything you do? Failure is always one nervous glance away - and you're the one being looked at. Does any of this sound familiar? If not, you're one of the lucky ones. For a ridiculously large and growing amount of people today, anxiety is as normal as bacon and eggs. It haunts. It hurts. It deceives. This is the realm of Chris Esper's newest short film. It's a world "Imposter" visually shares for those both in the know, and those pleasantly ignorant. It also happens to be a very cool way to depict this particular demon of the mind. A different take on a common issue.
It's all about symbolism. This quick little film is almost totally free of dialog, and relies on it's visual queues and tricks to interpret Chris Esper's take on anxiety. With "Imposter" this vision of anxiety is all done using a silent passenger. An unwanted friend that's always close by. Be it a court jester of sorts, as shown in the poster - or maybe a nude artist or youthful baseball player. The point is clear. These imposter's represent a doubtful disposition. That anxiety some of us feel at times, but many feel all the time. The trick is trying to deal with these... insecurities. With "Imposter" the chosen answer becomes quite clear in the final act. I'm not going to spoil the film, but to say the ending was an interesting idea on therapy would be an understatement. Regarding the production work? "Imposter" is definitely no slouch. It always puts a smile on my face when an indie production looks this damn good. "Imposter" lives in that tiny area between indie and large studio. Visually that is. It's that point where you can still just see that independent look, yet things flow nicely and are quite polished - as if it had a much larger budget.
We should also keep in mind that many really large productions try to emulate a true indie look. My point is that "Imposter" looks great. It's acted well, and has a really interesting take on a tough topic. When speaking of any movie, indie or large studio, what more could you ask? The simple truth is this. Chris Esper has set out to tell a story - with the hopes it will play well enough to keep people interested. He not only succeeds, but surpasses. All of this in just under ten minutes! In the end, even if a person didn't read the description, they'll very quickly discover what "Imposter" is all about. Once that discovery settles in, I feel most will enjoy the different take on a tough subject. A different, yet clever take. I have absolutely no issues recommending this film to anyone. I also have no problem awarding a four and a half star rating. Great job folks. It was a true pleasure. BC |
