Cross posted from
InvadeNola, where this will be appearing on June 16:
On the first episode of the
#TeamNOLAFilm
podcast, we discussed the need for a real investment in local filmmakers and
their projects. We have so many out of town productions coming IN to the area
which is great, but not enough local projects coming OUT. Do producers need a
good example of what New Orleans
talent can make?
"I have been waiting all morning for a man with half a heart."
Marty, fresh out of prison, visits his regular post jail release
diner. His body language says he's yearning for a calmer future, but the
scars on his face suggest something different; something deeper. Two other ex
cons see this as well, and soon the three men are conversing over plates of
pancakes. But there is more to their encounter than just short stacks...
Described as a sort of neo noir / urban western, "
Hot Cakes" has a surreal nature to
it; at times like Lynch, other times like Aronofsky. The appropriately timed
music, the cryptic at times dialogue, the interesting framing (there is a
Knight suit behind Marty in some shots) and even the setting - which comes off
like a purgatory type meeting place for these characters - all makes the
audience ask "what's this all leading to?" and "what does this
all mean?".
Well, what DOES it all mean? What IS it leading to? A fortune teller in the
diner is drawn to Marty, and makes a startling prediction for him; will it turn
out to be correct? Will Marty be forced into a compromising position? His new
friends certainly wish to pull him back into his harsh past. Will they succeed?
The film's aesthetic gives everything - including eating breakfast - a sense of
impending doom. And by the time the end credits roll, this sense still
lingers; things just don't look good for Marty, in OR out of the diner. Is
he in trouble no matter what? I absolutely loved this.
"No one should ever come here. I had teeth when I came here."
My only complaint is that it ended. I would like to see what the director Jo
Custer could do with a feature length script. She's an example of the kind of
local talent who deserve a shot. For Hollywood South to move forward, out of
town producers bringing projects to the area need to make a meaningful investment
in local filmmakers. Is an example of good local work needed? I just provided
one.
4/5 *'s
