It’s hard to believe that no one has made a feature film about our socialite-obsessed, tabloid-driven culture (Or, one that takes the subject seriously, at least). Luckily, Madeleine Zabel, the new short film from Chris Shimojima, fills the gap in the market and arguably does more with the material in 17 minutes than anyone in Hollywood would in 103 more.
After a VH1-style prologue introducing the eponymous starlet (Jenna D’Angelo) and a recent sex tape scandal, Shimojima plays out a phone telephone interview between “Maddy Z” and freelancer Elliott Snow (Chris Henry Coffey). Naturally, he’s trying to dig up the dirt on tape while she seeks to use the debacle to her advantage, with the aid of her no-nonsense publicist (scene-stealer Kelly Walters). It’s a war of words, with both characters firing from high atop their telephonic barricades. Unsurprisingly, these walls seal up their vulnerable cores.
It is a testament not only to the dauntless performers but also to their confident director that a dialogue-driven short film like Madeleine Zabel flies before your eyes, especially considering that the two leads are never in the same room together. But every frame, cut and word is infused with the kinds of barks and bites that make the finest melodramas in film burn in your memory. It’s like watching a P.T. Anderson screenplay directed by Martin Scorsese. Shimojima makes no secret of the fact that both auteurs are key influences on his work, but it never feels like he’s ripping them off; like any good artist, he’s taking what works and forging a personal style.
If I have a criticism, it’s in the score by Thomas Vanoosting, which flags up the intended tone of the first half rather than allow it to announce itself accordingly. But it’s a minor complaint, especially given its absence for the film’s visceral conclusion. Anyway, it’s rare that any new film — much less a short — is as emotionally-driven and as thoroughly watchable as Madeleine Zabel, and that is precisely the reason that I am sharing it with you. Hope you enjoy it:
