I was sent a screener of Isabelle a little while ago, and I was actually quite excited to watch it. This is the first time I’ve seen any material from Jennifer Valdes, despite knowing who she is in the independent horror scene in this area. Jennifer is an actress, editor, producer, writer, and director – and I was interested in seeing what she has to offer.
Isabelle is written and directed by Jennifer Valdes. It stars Bradley Brian Custer (“Celebrity Ghost Stories”), Mara Lee Gilbert, Anthony Saint Thomas, Susan Adriensen (Sculpture, Psycho Street), Bradley Creanzo, Bettina Skye, and Rob Ordonez.
“Leon (Custer) is a grieving husband on the verge of a major mental break. He will stop at nothing to be reunited with his wife Isabelle. The problem is – she’s already dead.”
The first thing that struck me during my viewing is that the whole 30 minute short film is completely in black and white. It’s something that is very uncommon now adays and used mostly as a throwback tool. In most cases it can be a deal breaker, and in this instance I thought using black and white was the right way to go. I later tried to think about how the film would have felt had it been in color…and I don’t think it would have worked. The mood here is so sad, so desperate, so dark. Had it been bright and colorful it definitely would have been a stark contrast that wouldn’t have felt right. So, major props to the post production team who decided to go forward as black and white.
Lending another point to the black and white comments, Isabelle kind of felt like an old, unseen episode of “The Twilight Zone.” It has quirky characters, supernatural elements, and several twist reveals that are very reminiscent of the original iconic show. I’m not sure if this was done on purpose, and I wonder if anyone else will see the similarities between Isabelle and an the “Twilight Zone” format. At least if the show is ever revamped in a special way they can have Valdes direct an episode!
It’s funny, but I found secondary characters much more interesting than the leads. My two favorite actors – and their characters – were Anthony Saint Thomas and Susan Adriensen. Anthony was spot on in his performance as the voodoo magician and the perfect guy for the role. Susan Adriensen was also perfect as the crazy old lady at home. She had comedic timing, believable reactions and expressions, and understood the character on an almost scary level. They were both the highlights of the film, although Custer and Gilbert did a great job as well!
Basing my opinion on the fact that Isabelle is an independent short film, I’m going to give it an 7.5 out of 10.
