“Double or Nothing” illustrates the struggle of a man and the murderous voices inside his head that take human form, his exact image, and challenges him to a game of pool.
Micro-budget cinema is rough to make. You have no money, yet, you’re trying to make something that will connect with a viewer so that they’re not focused on your short comings. Unfortunately here, the short comings are up front and center. The biggest problem here is the performance of the dual personalities by director Logan Leistikow. He commands no attention from the viewer whatsoever. In short, he cannot act. Trying to be nice here, but the facts are glaringly obvious. A wise move would have been to find someone who was at least a bit interesting on camera because “Double or Nothing” is all about the character and the character only and no one is going to care if that performance is anything less than interesting. I couldn’t keep my mind from drifting as I watched it because there was nothing there to keep my attention and I know I won’t be the only one that feels this way. This piece needed an actor.
Another curious faux pas lies in the fact that this is a two-part short. Why anyone would feel the need to do this is beyond me. What are you going to with a two-part short other than irritate people, especially if the first part holds no interest at all? Bad calls abound here, but with more work and better judgment calls, maybe Leistikow and crew could put something worthwhile underneath their belt.
