This film pisses me off. It pisses me off because it’s only 25 minutes and it should have been a feature. It is a film so full of life and wonder that it needs to really spread out and give us time to really dwell in the life of Jonny Faith.
The film is the story of once popular singer Jonny Faith. Back in the early 1980’s he was on the fast track to greatness but things happened and he is living in a trailer in the middle of somewhere that isn’t Hitsville. As the film begins he is giving away everything he owns and heading off to find his son. His time is short and he needs make peace with him.
As perfect a film as you are likely to see all year, it is one of the best films I’ve seen in 2023. A gloriously constructed film, it put a lump in my throat and annoyed the hell out of me in that I only got to spend less than half hour with the characters. It’s a film full of life and regret and it’s pure cinematic magic.
The reason that the film works as well as it does is the cast. Top to bottom its as good as a cast as any film I’ve run across ever. The real surprise is that everyone is held together by Frank Noon as Faith. I’ve never run across him before as an actor; however, I was familiar with him as a drummer for Def Leppard. As good a drummer he is, he’s a better actor and if there is justice, he will be getting many many more roles. I would argue he deserves an Oscar, but Oscar doesn’t do acting in shorts so I’m going to save my breath (though he really does deserve one).
This is a must see at LA Shorts or whatever festival it plays at.
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