Miss Gentilbelle (1999)

This dark, black and white short is beautifully photographed and full of wonderful images. The decaying and leaf-strewn setting of an upper-middle-class household caught in the flux between 1960 and 1999 is the perfect backdrop for the story we get here. That plot is, itself, an anachronism of sexual misconduct and typical child abuse. It's a somewhat unusual story yet a bit too contrived. It's obviously based on an old short story, now dated with the passage of time and the modernism of morality and general knowledge.

What saves all of this from being a horrible mess, other than the wonderful photography, is a remarkable performance by Beau Rutherford. This is a accomplishment in daring and boldness. Rutherford, a youngster, tackles a tough character with remarkable ease. Congratulations and accolades are definitely in order. Director Tara Miele has found herself a performer, an actor who makes her film work like a wonderwheel. It's the defining grace of the short.

The story we get here is old. It's dated. It's based on a short story by Charles Beaumont (a scripter probably best known for writing "The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao"), that probably appeared in a magazine like "Playboy" or "Collier's" in the 50's or early 60's. It's along the same lines as "Psycho" in that the sexual personality dysfunction suffered by the main character might have been considered to be so far out as to be "science fiction" in it's original time-setting. But placed in the 90's, the film's theme is so tame as to not be sufficient for a "Jerry Springer" topic. We just know too much nowadays to be surprised or interested in it's story. It's the performance of Rutherford that gives the film any bite at all.

Yet Miele, with her wonderful young star and her dark and rich images, still somehow makes the story her own. She films the piece with a eye that refuses to place the date. Her film could be happening in 1999 as easily as 1959. Her brooding and eerie pictures recall David Lynch as easily as Roger Corman or George Romero. Given more intriguing material, with more subtle punch, and allowing herself to pace a film even more slowly, Miele could deliver a masterpiece.

In many ways "Miss Gentilbelle" is a great short and one that proves Miele deserves more opportunities to make films. It's the kind of film that I found visually stunning yet a bit dated and silly, but other people could find it dark and creepy and sick. And it's got a surprise "click" in it that will knock your socks off, whether you're a suburban housewife or a jaded film critic.

Report Card

Script: B-

Acting: A-

Cinematography\Lighting: A+

Special Effects\Make Up: A-

Music: A+

Final Grade: B+