Town Business
“Town Business” is a suspense-filled short film. A lot of elements go into play to make this stand out and actually really intriguing to watch. You have the acting, the cinematography, and the setting that go hand-in-hand and make it a smooth and intense ride all the way to the very end.
What really makes this unique is how it’s mostly dialogue driven. There’s not much action except for one moment, and that one moment shows the power and monstrosity of the main character, Kell, the head of this organization we are introduced to. He is not a force to be reckoned with and when Jasper updates Kell on what has been going on with the club, the bitterness and anger emit with every word spoken from his mouth. They sting with venom and cut with ease. A lot of that has to go to the acting of Kell from Cory C. Dangerfield. Man, was he like a snake and willing to strike. He was super intimidating to watch, and I loved every moment he had.
To add to the intensity of the conversation, there’s nowhere to go. We’re stuck in one place. A room full of people. One exit that’s blocked. Instantly I felt claustrophobic and thought to myself: “Oh… No. Nope. Nah. Can’t do it. Something is about to go down, and it isn’t good.” I was right. That being said, having the situation take place in an over-crowded room was really smart due to the fact we were forced to witness the disappointment of Kell. It was fun to watch as everything unravelled before us and to see what exactly the actions of Kell and his people were going to be by the end. In a way, it is unnerving because I felt like Kell was extremely unpredictable.
To really add to the suspense, the cinematography does a really good job at dimming the mood. The very first shot basically sets the tone and from there on it just got more dark. The way Kell is lit up really made him seem like he is the God of these people. Nobody else has as much light as he does and it really makes his power stand out. Everybody else shrouds in dim light, afraid to speak their minds or interrupt the argument that takes place at the table.
I really enjoyed this piece because of how straightforward it is. It doesn’t focus too much on backstory and offers us the insight we need to know for this certain scene alone. I do think it’d be interesting to see this story expanded in a web-series or anything akin just so we can witness the evolution of this group and its members. Perhaps it’s the next “Sons of Anarchy”. I loved the performance of all the actors and actresses and I think each one has potential of offering an insightful backstory into their characters (it’d be fun to expand on in said series) like how Kell came to be in power and how these members all joined.
