Rogue Cinema - The Truth About Faces (2007)

The Truth About Faces (2007) - By Brian Morton
Posted on Tuesday, May 01 @ Mountain Daylight Time by Duane

Sometimes we say one thing but we mean something else. We've all done it and we've all seen it, that look on someone's face that they're saying much more than is coming out of their mouths. That's what the new short, The Truth About Faces, by Lindsey Shockley is about.

Basically a short movie about a Jules and her mom, who are shopping for a graduation dress, but if you read between the lines, there's so much more going on here. When Mrs. Hall (played by Julie Pop) expresses concern for Jules (played by Hanna Hall) traveling so far from home on an archaeological expedition to Africa, is she having empty nest syndrome or is something else going on. If you just listen to the conversation, you'd be misled into thinking that this was mostly a shopping trip, but, if you pay attention to the title of the film and watch the faces of the characters, you'll see that something else is going on here. When Jules and her mom run into a man from their past, we learn that not only do they know him, but this man used to date Mrs. Hall's other daughter, who is now dead. The conversation, while on the surface is very inconsequential, is much more than that. We can see that discomfort of everyone involved, Mrs. Hall's not sure what to say to this man, Jules is holding back information and everyone concerned wants to just get away, but they all feel that this conversation is the right thing to do.

The Truth About Faces really hinges on the performances of Hall and Pop, both of whom are amazing! Both these actresses are great, if they don't have a real relationship to draw from, then the performances are that much more amazing. While The Truth About Faces is a short, I'd love to see what Lindsey Shockley could do with a feature film, what she gets out of her actors here, in one continuous shot, is what all low budget movies should strive for. The Truth About Faces impressed me by using the story and the acting together to tell the story, both are reliant on the other to get across the entire feeling that Ms. Shockley is going for, if all the elements weren't working perfectly together the entire film falls, but everyone is firing on all cylinders here and The Truth About Faces is one of the best movies I've see this year, it's definitely the one that made me think the most, about what people are saying and what they're actually meaning. I'm giving The Truth About Faces four out of four cigars, because it's the perfect film, it's warm, touching and thought provoking, I really enjoyed this movie! You can find out more about Lindsey Shockley and The Truth About Faces by dropping by her My Space Page. So, until next time, when I'll tell you how much I loved Battlefield: Earth and you'll have to read the expression on my face to tell if I'm lying or not, remember that the best movies are bad movies.