Written by: Ryan Dailey
La Tristesse is a twenty-seven minute short film by Vivian Kay Quintero and Embryo House. It stars writer/director/editor Vivan Kay Quintero. While the film is not long, it definitely has a lot to unpack. To this reviewer, the film is a harrowing story of feeling trapped in one’s own body and the anxiety and depression that comes with it.
The film is photographed in such a way that, combined with the haunting soundtrack, forces the viewer to feel the same anxiety that the main character of The Woman is experiencing. The shaky, yet beautifully directed shots, the composition of the frames and the grainy filter gave me the impression of watching someone that wanted their story to be heard, but still wanting to keep those watching her story at arm’s length.
The film does not contain dialog and it does not need it. The desperation is on screen in the stellar performance that Vivian puts on. The mood is set through the music provided by Whit e Gardinia and Coffin Breath. La Tristesse does so much with so little. The practical effects done by Dancing Corpse Studios are very well done and photographed famously.
If there is one complaint I have about this film is that I found myself wanting more. The story told in the twenty seven minute run time is solid and definitely complete, but it is the type of film so good that one hopes it keeps going on.
The filmmakers put abundant effort in love into telling this story and succeeds in taking the viewer on a journey, the way films should.
The trailer is available to view at https://youtube.com/channel/UCP5fSJ24zJN78ySrDfgYA