Christian de Rezendes’ short film “Duet” was originally produced for the 2010 48 Hour Film Project in Providence, Rhode Island. The plot is fairly simple: an artistic guy (David Kane) meets a rocker chick (Becca G.T.) in an alley. He is immediately smitten and offers to write a song for her band, the Screaming Rats. Yet the task isn’t all that simple – a severe writer’s block stymies his progress.
Explaining how the guy gets the song out will ruin the film’s surprise finale, although a clue of something seriously awry is telegraphed in a pre-opening credit clip of the frustrated songwriter crying in a shower. Perhaps the rush-rush nature of the 48 Hour Film Project may have contributed to the short’s raw and slightly unpolished style. A little more time in production could have also given the short a better alternative to the late-arriving music trio that appear to be doing Paul Lynde imitations.
However, the young leads have a nice rapport, and de Rezendes makes an intelligent use of a spacious hipster-decorated loft for most of the action. And for anyone who has run head first into a writer’s block, Kane’s agonizing efforts to bring forth effortless lyricism will resonate with gusto.
