Imposter [2018]
Film Review
by JannyC
A silent drama that visually represents the inner struggles of suffering from anxiety. [IMDb]
Independent short film, Imposter, is a scintillating short suspense drama, written and directed by Chris Esper and produced by Lisa Wynn. It is no surprise to me that it is a multi-award winning film, having been awarded Best Director at the Sanford International Film Festival (2018) and Best Film at the New England Film, Shawna Shea Memorial Film Festival in Boston, MA (2018) and Best Creative Concept for a Short Film, Jersey Shore Film Festival (Asbury Park, NJ) (2019).
Clocking in at a mere 10-minutes in length, Imposter delivers a lifetime of pain and sadness for each character represented without saying a single word. With it being an almost completely silent film, the music by Steven Lanning-Cafaro is tragically superb in setting the tone throughout.
While Imposter possesses an ensemble cast, we first meet Mike (Tom Mariano), along with his accompanying (and visible only to him) jester child, representing his insecurity, this we know via a snippet of the only dialogue appearing in the piece. The entire cast deliver stupendous performances, using just body language and facial expressions. Having a little acting background, I appreciated such performances, being able to convey so much emotion without saying a word. You feel every character and the insecurity that is attached to each.
Set to give stage to inner struggles of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and imposter syndrome, the film stabs you right in the heart, and in a good way. This is especially if true if you or someone close to you struggles with any such conditions. Side note: if you have never heard of imposter syndrome, I advise you look it up. I was surprised to find how much I can relate to this condition. Esper captures the struggle poetically, moving you to near tears as you nod to yourself in agreement or acceptance… Yes, that is it. I’ve felt like that. I’ve struggled. Finally, the agony has been captured visually!
Richard King is on Director of Photography duty here and does an incredible job capturing and blending each person’s little stories and transitioning it all into one smooth piece.
Imposter kind of hit a glitch for me in the climax when the ending left me thinking as to whether I interpreted it correctly or not… and if I did, it is so beautifully deep that it made me want to weep. That aside, I love how this film, though a short, has a beginning, middle and an end. By the time the credits roll, you are left complete and satisfied.
A brilliant piece. Highly recommended! 10/10 for me.
The film can be found on Amazon Prime in some regions and FREE on Vimeo. Check it out, below:
