Greatness is often only found in one’s own mind. Writer-director Omar Cook’s Skandalouz examines what drives a man to violence when he can’t get what he wants.
Marcus (Adonis Armstrong) is a rising soon-to-be partner at his law firm, and he knows it. An ego stroke he receives from his mistress and co-worker, Stacy (Gentel Sharrie), is just the boost he needs to take conquer the world. Nothing will get in his way.
Meanwhile, at home, Marcus’ wife, Kayla (Jessie Reeder), discovers several condoms in his pants and is finally fed up with his ongoing infidelity. When Kayla confronts him, a single strike from Marcus definitively establishes his status in the relationship.
Skandalouz attacks the subject of domestic violence plaguing the world for millennia. In the case of Marcus and Kayla, the filmmaker explores Marcus’ narcissism. He is the rising king in his professional life and feels he’s already the lord and ruler in his personal one. After a heart-to-heart with his best friend, Derek (Omar Cook), Marcus sees the errors of his ways, leading to a Hitchcockian (albeit low-budget indie Hitchcock) ending.
“…a single strike from Marcus definitively establishes his status in the relationship.”
Skandalouz is the latest production to come from Omar Cook’s 247LC Films bringing the drama after its action short, Coke Boys. 247LC Films is definitely getting their reps in with this short. The story shines, and Cook and Armstrong are here to flex their dramatic muscles. Admittedly, the acting is inconsistent at the start. The opening scene between Marcus and his mistress Stacy feels a bit stiff, but once the action moves to Kayla and Derek, the performances feel more natural.
Filmmaker Cook is on the right path as a storyteller, and hopefully, soon, he’ll get his hands on some real cameras and sound equipment to elevate his game. In the meantime, I’d suggest he start studying the great cinematographers and playing around with shot composition to enhance the emotion, tension, and conflict in scenes.
It is always exciting for me to see new stories, such as Skandalouz, coming from the indie film community. Pay special attention to 247LC Films and what hopes to be its glorious evolution to the filmmaking world.
For more information about Skandalouz, visit the 247LC Films official website.
"…Cook is on the right path as a storyteller..."
