A disheveled and bespectacled guy is working alone in an artist’s studio…or perhaps it is a warehouse? He appears to be painting a canvas…or is it a wall? A hot chick with a to-die-for Dixie accent comes in and speaks to him in a teasingly flirtatious manner…or is she goading him about a dark secret? He is not happy to have her around, but somehow he is not too eager to chase her away. And when she tells him, “That was a real clean kill, David…it was almost pretty” – well, then there are some significant WTF vibes going on that require explanation.
To say more about Justin Duval’s “Cross Lines” would spoil the fun of this enigmatic experimental short, where carefully dropped verbal clues and subtle shifts of body and eyes can turn seemingly elliptical phrases into something fairly unsettling. Alex Reeves’ inventive screenplay is wonderfully brought alive by Faye Kingslee as the mysterious hottie and Russ Russo as the subject of her mischievously malicious focus. Jeffrey Peters’ cinematography sets the perfect mood for this off-kilter but on-target mind game.
“Cross Lines” is also part of an ambitious Los Angeles-based collaborative effort called Short Film Weekends, where creative artists come together to spend their Saturdays and Sundays in pursuit of the short subject. This is the latest of their endeavors, and it appears the group is on the right track in the creation of genuinely original cinematic gems.
As the mother of Alix Reeves I feel very proud of her and of her writings.
I know she is going to go very far in this field.
Thank you so much for your article!!!
Sincerely,
Gina
WOW, great article on CROSS LINES……as a newbie writer (new to the WGA !!) It was great to see my lines quoted……”That was a real clean kill David……almost pretty.”
Yippeee! I’m sending this one to my mom.
Thank you, thank you!
Alix Reeves
P.S. This group is an amazing group of talent, thanks for the recognition!