A short film doesn’t need to be complicated. In Talisha Elger and Nicholas Finegan’s LGBT romance, Some Kind of Paradise, the underlying story isn’t complicated, but the romance sure is.
Tyler (John Brodsky) is a rugged young man living in Paradise, Arkansas. By day, he scours the dating apps looking for hookups. He has a specific type…anyone not looking for love. At night, Tyler works at a local bar.
On this particular day, an actor, Raphael (Gabriel Leyva) from Hollywood, is working on location in Paradise and comes across Tyler’s profile. He insists they meet, and Tyler quickly sees something different in Raphael. Resisting the urge to hook up, the two talk into the late hours of the night…until Raphael realizes he needs to be on set.
“He has a specific type…anyone not looking for love.”
There’s nothing complicated about Some Kind of Paradise. It’s two dudes falling in love. Not being complicated in this case is a good thing as it allows director Nicholas Finegan to focus on what needs to be accomplished in the short film…getting Tyler to fall in love. What makes Finegan’s job challenging and where he succeeds is making it feel authentic.
How Finegan makes the romance work through the emotions of falling in love like a dance, and he couldn’t have found a better pair of partners than John Brodsky and Gabriel Leyva as Tyler and Raphael. It starts as a slow burn, which ultimately ignites into passion. Boy, does it get passionate! It’s then we discover love is complicated, and the rug is pulled out from under us.
Some Kind of Paradise beautifully captures the essence of a simple yet profound love story. This short film proves that sometimes, simplicity is the key to genuinely touching the heart.
"…Boy, does it get passionate!"
