SUNANCE FILM FESTIVAL 2024 REVIEW! A good deed turns into a battle of wills in Alex Lora Cercos’ dramatic short, The Masterpiece.
Our tale begins in a very long line at the recycling center. Leo and Diana are trying to drop off a broken television, and they are approached by Salif, who offers to take their television right then and there.
Grateful for the offer, Diana tells Salif that they have an old dryer at home that they can take. As Salif is black, Leo is confused about why Diana would invite them to their modest mansion. Salif accepts the offer and grabs his son, Yousef.
Instructing him to park in front of the house, Salif drives straight through the gate. As the pair picks up the dryer in the backyard, Yousef can’t help but notice how beautiful their home looks and begins looking around for other unwanted items that can be scavenged. Oh, and he also notices the security camera overhead.
Do you know where this tale is headed?
“…Yousef can’t help but notice how beautiful their home looks and…the security camera overhead.”
Pulling culture and politics out of the short film, The Masterpiece is all about tension. Like a song, director Alex Lora Cercos’ sole instrument is tension and its notes are found between the scale of trust and mistrust.
What are Salif and Yousef’s motives? Hell, what are Leo and Diana’s motives? Our alliances between each pair shift constantly, and our concerto ends with a beautiful final standoff that must not be spoiled.
The Masterpiece is a masterpiece in how Cercos plays with our emotions, keeping us off-balance right from the start and developing the tension through the subtle performances of his actors. Films should make us feel, even if that feeling is uncomfortable.
The Masterpiece screened at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
"…plays with our emotions, keeping us off-balance right from the start..."
