directed by:
Chris Esper written by: Kris Salvi genre: Drama |
“They’re just words Michael. Words come and go.” Ever feel like you’ve just been punched in the nuts by a film you watched? That line did it for me, and this right here is a delightfully twisted short film. “Michael Solace” is the Horror flick that preys on all of a writer’s worst fears and anxieties. Those of us who put words onto pages for a living usually pretend to believe in their autonomous artistic integrity, but even the sharpest among us still know there’s an editor or producer lurking around every corner of the internet ready to manipulate our words to better suit their own preferred style. We’re all looking to retain our creative control, aren’t we? The struggle is real, let me tell ya. What if you wrote something amazing and someone was ready to write a big ol’ check for it…wouldn’t that be tough to resist, even if it meant that you had to sell out to get that money? I think half of us writers are so terrified of what Michael goes through in this short film that we’d almost prefer to stay mediocre in our craft, so that we never really have to find out what side of the fence we’re on. The other half of us are way too proud of being perpetually broke, and we’ll probably stay that way.
This came out strong…I really liked “Michael Solace” overall. I think this is a unique spin on many of my favourite themes, which were brilliantly explored in the movie “Adaptation,” written by the genius Charlie Kaufman. Considering that’s quite likely my number one choice as the best movie ever made, Writer Kris Salvi and Director Chris Esper can give themselves a high-five for keeping great company by comparison. Of course, where “Adaptation” adds a more intentional comedic vibe to the idea, “Michael Solace” goes for a much creepier take. If you’re a writer yourself, there’s no doubt that this belongs in the Horror genre - but if you’re outside of the craft, it will likely play more like a Mystery for ya. I really enjoyed the mental gymnastics that “Michael Solace” immediately starts to put us through as we watch the title character take a meeting about the script he’s just written. He considers it his best work…an epic tale of America…and how on Earth do you go about putting a price on that? How tough is it to put a price on our thoughts, hard work & creativity? It’s practically impossible, and every artist in just about every creative capacity has been forced at some point to navigate the fork in the road between pursuing fame and fortune versus toiling in anonymity for a pittance forevermore. It’s funny…when you write something like this down and look at it on paper, it seems like it would be a much easier choice than it is…yet here I am somehow still driving a Honda and not a Bentley. Go figure. Casting came out well here, too - having Justin Thibault play Michael was a wise choice. Not only does he do a solid job with the acting, but let’s face it, he looks pretty much like the exact image everyone would think of if they closed their eyes to imagine what a writer looks like. Diana Porter plays an agent named Monica, and between the two of them, they essentially carry the weight of the majority of this script. There are a few other role players, not necessarily inconsequential characters, but they’re in significantly smaller roles by comparison. Like what about writer Kris Salvi stopping by to jog and do some random sidewalk pushups outta nowhere when “Michael Solace” starts to make a push into the kind of terrain you’d expect to find in a Twin Peaks episode? That’s fun! Or what about the two dudes that he runs into in an alley he ducked into while running away from potentially making bad decisions? That’s fun too! Finding a deranged writer wielding an axe, warning him about forces ready to destroy his script, was great - and the calm of Marcus Shadowman (John R. Smith Jr.) was another highlight character. Even if they were only in this film for a brief moment or two, each contributes greatly to the creepiness. Perhaps the real question every writer should be asking is what kind of monster would want to buy our words in the first place? Teamwork is one thing, but that’s not really the discussion that “Michael Solace” is having - it’s much more centered around the concepts of giving up the rights to your material. So heck yeah…you’d have to be a real demon to want to claim the work of someone else as your own, wouldn’t ya? Well…just wait until you’re out there in the woods with Michael, who seemingly runs into a whole council of ghouls, all standing around in masks that look made out of scripts into papier-mache. And of course, what’s even more frightening than the ghouls you’d find randomly in the forest? It’s always going to be the agent standing behind them, which is where you’ll find Monica popping up again. Terrifying beyond words if you’re a writer, and played with such a brilliant deadpan, you’ve gotta admire.
Michael holds onto his script so tightly you can literally see the wear & tear that the pages now possess. The question becomes, will he be able to hold onto it? If he lets it go, how much damage will Monica do to his work with her evil smile and devilish red pen? Is there any amount of money that is worth selling out for? I’m legitimately asking about that last one…please tell me the answer so I know what to charge. All in all, what makes “Michael Solace” a great watch is that it IS funnier and more insightful than it ever lets on. It’s genuine satire with an original perspective, and I found it to be compellingly clever from every angle. The idea that Salvi & Esper would have made the conscious decision to lean into the Horror genre in terms of atmosphere and mood was a riotously good call, and it worked out perfectly here. It’s an intense battle between BIG MONEY & CORPORATISM against the little independent that could be any of us, and while it hit so damn close to home that I felt like this film was watching ME instead of me watching it, I felt like it was so well-executed that I couldn’t help but cheer on Michael, hoping he might make it to the finish line with his integrity intact. Will he? Great question - but no, I’m not doing your homework for you when you should definitely be taking the twelve or so minutes to watch this yourself. Suffice it to say, I think there’s a real market and audience out there for such a skewering and self-aware film like this…it might very well be creepy, yes, but it’s also an incredible joy to watch this all unfold. “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” Freddie Mercury once mused on things just like what Michael has to confront along the way. When do we wake up and find that we cashed in our dreams for a life that is so much different than the one we started out pursuing when we first took up our passions? The climax scene of Michael having to reconcile all that he is, all he values, and all he’s worked so very hard on as an actual box full of cash awaits his decision is absolutely delightful to watch in every way. You’d think he was staring at a knife that was about to plunge deep into his chest based on the way the scene is portrayed…and that’s exactly what’s really happening if you’re looking into this horrific moment on a metaphorical/symbolic level. You have to recognize how stunningly well-conceived a film like this truly is, and in the end, you have to applaud it for what it stands for. It’s a lot more tongue-in-cheek than I’d imagine most viewers will understand, but those of us who get what “Michael Solace” is getting at will remember the experience of watching this forever. No visible signs of weakness detected here, only real genius at work - I’m going with four and a half outta five stars for this short film, confident that it has earned every bit of praise from me, and that it will receive even more from the rest of you watching. |
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