The initial reveal to the newly-elected president feels like the conspiratorial ghost stories you tell at the campfire and builds wonderfully as the pair reveals just how much power the president really has. The president-elect’s response at the end is just perfect.
I have a few qualms with The Early Inauguration. I’m sure the purpose of the short film was merely to present the existence and influence of this sinister organization. I would love to have some sense of where the story goes next. Point the president’s new administration in a specific direction as a teaser. Force audiences to wonder what will happen next and make them beg for a second episode or feature film. Marketing, folks.
“…feels like the conspiratorial ghost stories you tell at the campfire…”
Second, the shot composition throughout the short is not all that exciting. You have three actors talking in a single room, and the shots are standard close-up, medium, and wide shots. The story would have benefited from more dramatic angles to boost the tension, and the wide-angles were just not interesting.
Lastly, the costuming. I could believe that Michael Albala in his simple clean pressed suit could be the President of the United States, but not-so-much Alexandre and Dulles as influential members of a secret society. They come across more as mafia members than influential political players. To me, it’s not the actors that are the problem. They do an excellent job with the script, but it is their appearance. They should look as powerful as they are for the sake of credibility.
The Early Inauguration is a great start for Joseph F. Alexandre. He aimed high with a Deep State political thriller and, for the most part, succeeds. The words of the script and acting are fantastic. He now just needs to make the visual elements of the film match the film and its tension.
"…...the two lay out how far back in history their influence has been felt..."
