Trouble finds a once upon a time boxer turned Las Vegas diner owner when a desperate fighter comes knocking.
Loglines in films, especially short films, are peculiar animals. The under 25-word description never does justice for stores that are not about its plain-sounding description. A case in point is Andy Kastelic’s Blue Boy.
Blue Boy (Jack Forcinito) is a washed-up boxer living his remaining days running a Las Vegas diner. His only freedom is riding his motorcycle across the open Nevada desert highways. One day a desperate fighter, Bobby (Gennaro Leo), comes to the diner looking for Blue Boy. Unfortunately, Bobby is in trouble with Battleaxe Sue (Lorri Layle Oliver), who demanded that Bobby takes a dive in his last fight and, of course, pride prevented him from doing it. So now he’s running from her revenge. Bobby needs a way to escape.
“…he’s running from Sue’s revenge. Bobby needs a way to escape.”
Kastelic’s Blue Boy is a beautiful film taking place in the not-so-beautiful world of underground boxing. The 22-minute short plays out like a neo-noir with lyrical narrations by Blue Boy and the discovery that Bobby is Blue Boy’s estranged son. Long ago, Bobby’s mother, Penny (Virginia Asbury), walked out on Blue Boy, and he had not seen Bobby since that day. The heart of story is his attempt at this late point in his life to reconnect with the son he never knew and make things right. But, Blue Boy learns a painful lesson about family in the end.
The joy of watching Blue Boy is how writer/director Kastelic gets right into the heart of this man, Blue Boy, played marvelously by Jack Forcinito. He’s a father who was never given a chance to raise his son and, in this one meeting, is flooded with feelings of fatherhood and his years of missed opportunities. Kastelic’s use of neon lighting throughout is simply brilliant. The lighting gives the story a meditative and dreamlike quality. It forces you to look beyond the straightforward narrative and dig deep into his character. The film deserves high praise for the power of its storytelling.
For more information visit Blue Boy’s official site at www.andykastelic.com
"…[has] a meditative and dreamlike quality."
