Paying his way: Jon Jacobs (Michael), Dan Spector (Gerald) and Brion Rose (Dr Kevin Adams).
Short film: The Last Supper
Director: Aaron Holly and Cathy Wang
Screenplay: Aaron Holly and Cathy Wang
Genre: Drama
Review by Joy Francis
The Last Supper attempts to tackle the stigma attached to homelessness, and the harsh reality of being old, isolated and facing death, with mixed results.
Michael (Jon Jacobs) is a homeless man in his sixties, sleeping rough on the well heeled streets of Los Angeles. Informed by Dr Kevin Adams (Brion Rose) that he is dying, Michael refuses the doctor’s offer of shelter and drags his weary body back to his makeshift home in front of Oliva, a glamorous Italian Trattoria.
Soothed by the restaurant’s glossy exterior and twinkly lights, he clutches his battered violin case containing a black and white picture of a youthful Michael with a smiling man captioned – The Two Maestros.
Clearly a former musician, Michael reconnects with his violin and starts busking outside of a bank on the high street. Word soon spreads of his musical dexterity as an appreciative crowd of professional workers fill his case with crisp dollar bills.
Doctor Adams stumbles across Michael en route to a conference and again his help is turned down flat. But when Michael attempts to gain entry to the swanky Oliva with his hard earned money, Gerald, the Maitre D, (Dan Spector) treats him like a leper until Dr Adams once again crosses his path. The fateful meeting allows Michael to gain access to his favourite restaurant and have an eventful and heart warming last supper.
The Last Supper is beautifully shot and realised, though the lightweight script barely touches the surface and gives it the feel of a TV movie, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Slow moving and gentle there is a creeping sense of melancholia, aided by aching violin strings, touchingly scored by S. Peace Nistades. All of which draws attention to the unchallenging dialogue that keeps the emotional level on s for sentimentality.
The closest moment to any sense of conflict is when Michael is treated as a second class citizen by the spiky Gerald who keeps him waiting all night for a table.
All the performances are solid. Jon Jacob’s Michael is world weary and sombre. Brion Rose infuses Dr Adams with an old school kindness while Dan Spector moves from harsh snobbery to aloofness to pure charm with great flair.
Having Michael bump into the doctor with such regularity lacks conviction, and the constant hints at his musical past and his relationship with the mystery man left me feeling slightly bereft at the lack of back-story.
For their first film Cathy Wang and Aaron Holly (who has worked as a visual effect specialist on blockbusters such as The Hobbit and Avatar) have managed to pull together a strong likeable cast, secure an experienced composer and showcase a keen sense of mood elevated by stylish cinematography.
It has the potential to go beyond its 28 minutes to be a full length feature, but needs more bite.