The Trick
It’s time to close, time to leave, time for an end of things, the lone patron sat at his table with the dregs of his pint as Rita makes her way over to politely ask him to finish up and move on, surprised when he indicates his glass, full as if freshly pulled where it was almost empty a second before; elegantly dressed, with a strong but uncertain accent, he presents himself as a magician, but while she has no interest in what he has to offer she allows him a moment to entertain her.
A short film, a single scene wrapping up at the end of the night, The Trick is written and directed by Matt Finch and Chris Baker, listed as Fitch/Baker, but performed by The Husbands of River Song‘s Rowan Polonski as “the Man in Black,” immaculately presented and charming but unquestionably a trickster, an agent of chaos seeking something; a free pint, a moment of her time, or something more, for her to be – his accomplice?
Illustrated by Krent Able, his deck of cards old and worn, anachronistic, his first bid to capture the attention of Rita (Jennie Eggleton) is simple and obvious but does the trick, tempting her to join him, to humour him, feeling safe in the space where she holds the power, Matthew Platt’s landlord stood by the bar in the unlikely eventuality that she needs him dealing with this eccentric customer.
Preying on her curiosity, her sense of need, her insecurity, the frustration she has at the poor hand she holds in life, it is her who lays the cards on the table but it is her who has been both drawn out by him and drawn into his plan, The Trick an old one dressed in new styles, nothing which has not been seen before but effective in its sharp simplicity.
Glasgow Film Festival continues until Sunday 8th March
