Angela (Stacie L. Seidl) lives with her uncle (Dan Greenleaf), helping him with his astronomy. She’s lonely, however, eventually falling for the dim-witted lawnmower man, Clint (Scott Nadeau), who refuses to have a physical relationship with her unless they are married. Angela jumps at the opportunity to be wed, but her uncle forbids it.
James Ristas’ Some Love From Above is a very odd short film. The narrative is straightforward enough, just extremely weird, and I didn’t even mention one of the strangest parts of the entire story. It’s awkward and sometimes off-putting, yet still keeps your attention. I was fascinated, but I have no idea why.
I also enjoyed that the film plays with audience expectations, and keeps you off-balance throughout. Again, the tone is just so strange, you’re not entirely sure just how far out there the film is going to go. Once you know, it can seem relatively tame yet there’s no denying that it’s still all very odd.
This one is a curiosity. Visually it has a raw feel to it, forgoing that pristine look of most modern filmmaking for the more visceral qualities of film. The previous films of Ristas that I’ve seen, Jehovah’s Cobras and A Film in Tongues, were in black and white, but I like what the filmmaker has achieved here with color. With each short Ristas adds something new to his toolbox, and it has been interesting to watch the progression. They’re getting easier to follow too, but that doesn’t mean they’re easier to interpret.
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