The eponymous vehicle of Alex Gonzalez’ “The Getaway Car” is a commuter train that chug-a-lugs its leisurely was down suburban tracks en route to midtown Manhattan. A catchy song by the indie rock band GROUPSPACE runs along the soundtrack while Gonzalez’ camera captures the varied landscapes from the POV perspective of an enigmatic passenger who seems vaguely disinterested with his journey. Just what exactly he is getting away from isn’t immediately clear, until he reaches his destination and vanishes into the metropolitan mass.
Actually, “The Getaway Car” was entirely shot with a cell phone – but you would never know it from the unusually crisp black-and-white videography. The camerawork becomes particularly interesting at journey’s end, when the train’s passengers embark into a claustrophobic station and into Manhattan’s overwhelming streets.
“The Getaway Car” – which can be seen online – is a handsome and intelligent exercise in short filmmaking. And if Gonzalez can create this with a cell phone, it would be fun to imagine what he can do with a 35mm camera and a real budget!
