Tell-Tale Heart, The (Short)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Brian Alford, Joseph Scott Anthony
Directed by Jason Grinde
To grab the reigns of an Edgar Allan Poe short story is a gutsy move, especially when you consider how many have already been attempted (and been less than stellar), and one of my personal faves was passed along to be raked over the coals, and I can certainly admit, this short was not only well-directed, but interpreted to a degree that only a real aficionado of Poe’s work can analyze and dissect.
Director Jason Grinde is the man in the saddle, and his presentation of ,The Tell-Tale Heart is a remarkable one – from the opening frames we see our lead caretaker (Brian Alford) sitting in a police confessional, spilling his guts as to the murder of the elderly soul (Joseph Scott Anthony) he was providing assistance to. His demeanor remains stoic as he delicately recounts his inner feelings related to his heinous actions on that fateful night, and we get a nice turn of events when the dead man’s heart begins to bear just a little too loud while a visit from the local police is at hand. If you’ve read the book, you’ll see no surprises here, but just a bit of fun that normally would get swallowed up in a piece of Poe’s dour writing, but the hint of levity works well and this is a decent way to kill around 10 minutes.
Grinde uses the most of the surroundings, and the scenes in the police confessional are brilliant with long distance shots slowly moving towards a close up to the insane man’s face and mussed hair, and the living room illumination via the raging fireplace is a visual winner as well. Overall, this Poe retelling might not be for all, but for those who enjoy a quickie (a story, you sickos) – this is one to be checked out.
Rating: 4 out of 5
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Film
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