Henry has long been a fan of Agnetha’s webcam performances. Finally, getting the courage and money together, he has set up an anonymous meeting in a deserted warehouse. Despite his obvious nerves, it’s not long before he makes his move . . . but who is watching?
Shot in the UK
Written by: Julia Florimo & Rob Talbot
Directed by: Steve Connor
DOP: David Crute
Music by: Craig Wilson
Associate Producer: David Rogers
Produced by: Julia Florimo & Rob Talbot
Room Mates is a short film created by and starring Rob Talbot and Julia Florimo. It’s a very quick and intimate piece, only featuring the two leads. The story centers around Henry (Rob Talbot), a nervous man who has set up a computer and a camera in a somewhat seedy warehouse. We are quickly introduced to Agnetha (Julia Florimo), referred to by her online username “vikingqueen”. When the two meet in said warehouse for an unknown purpose, their motivations and reasoning slowly come to light.
Before I touch on the script or the plot, I want to address my favorite aspect of this short. The music, managed by Craig Wilson, is great. It’s an atmospheric sort of score, one that doesn’t overcast onto the performances. Instead, it creates a drive and feel to the movie that is irreplaceable. If this film were scored much differently or silent, it would be worse for it. The music is a sort of chunky synth, but not too abrasive. While it doesn’t exactly align with the tone of the story in a way I would’ve liked, it’s a stand out aspect that aids the overall project. I have to give credit where credit is due, and Craig Wilson’s score helped wrap me up in the film’s world. That’s exactly what a score is supposed to do, and it’s what Room Mates music does flawlessly.
The plot is pretty paper thin, mainly contained between the dialogue of the two leads. Henry has invited Agnetha to the warehouse for an unknown reason, one that I won’t spoil. The whole concept plays upon your perception of a man and a woman meeting in secrecy. Unfortunately, I felt like the implications were a bit too heavy handed. The film is just over 7 minutes excluding run time, and I had figured out the “twist” rather quickly. The film wasn’t even finished before I had a chance to groan. It’s not that the actual twist is shoddy, it’s actually pretty smart. Instead, it’s due to the lack of intelligence the script assumes the audience to have.
Rob Talbot is great as Henry. From the first line to the last, Henry is obviously a nervous and unsure man. This is reflected superbly by Talbot, his sometimes quivering voice having me second guessing my assumptions. The character of Agnetha is a bit annoying, but that might have been intentional. Out of the two, Henry feels the most human… the most alive. Agnetha is like a caricature of a bossy woman; representing and displaying all the normal qualities of one but never embodying it. She’s a strong character, but comes off a bit too rude when put against Henry. If there was more balanced third character to even them out, I think Agnetha would’ve played a lot better.
Speaking of pure visual quality, Room Mates is serviceable. There’s nothing that stood out to me; it’s obvious that the film is a character piece rather than a visual one. However, the shots are well put together and of good framing. The one exception is a cliché rotation shot towards the end of the film, where we see the camera spinning around both characters as the story’s end comes to light. It felt a bit busy and disconnected from the otherwise static camera. It wasn’t enough to throw me off, but I think a good static mid shot would’ve played much better to the reveal.
For the most part, Room Mates is an interesting play on our expectations of what happens when a man and a woman meet in private. However, it’s a bit insulting to the audience’s intelligence, and it played out exactly how I expected it to. Apart from this disappointment, I only had one other negative in relation to the script. Henry is a man who doesn’t like computers, he says so himself at a point. “I didn’t even send an email, last year”, he tells Agnetha. A few lines later, he explains that he found Agnetha online and was a fan of “her moves”. I find it incredibly hard to accept that the same man who is uncomfortable sending an email would be lurking in online chat rooms. It’s a bit of a disconnect in the character, but thankfully Talbot’s performance makes it easy to accept.
Room Mates is a decent thinking piece, albeit a bit predictable. There’s a great performance within Henry, and an obvious handle on the camera. The actual composition of the film is of quality, very much aided by the exemplary music. While it won’t have you scratching your head or pondering its morals, Room Mates manages to keep you guessing for a few minutes. At only 8 minutes, it’s not a massive commitment, and one worth checking out. I hope to see Rob Talbot in a few more projects, as well as Craig Wilson’s music. If you’re looking for a somewhat dark and mysterious character piece, Room Mates suffices. As a learning tool, it shows just how much a good performance and quality music can improve the overall quality of a project.
Movie Rating: 3 stars.
Movie Ratings Guide
1 Star = Unwatchable
2 Stars = Cannot Recommend
3 Stars = Would Watch Again
4 Stars = A Solid Movie
5 Stars = Must Own (DVD/Stream Download)
Watch Room Mates at these locations:
UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp
US https://www.amazon.com/dp/B
Germany https://www.amazon.de/
Japan https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B01NBXXVXV
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