Portrait of a Rocker: B-Side (2020) – Short Film Review
An effortlessly loquacious script, compelling performances and sharp style make what is a small scale encounter with a band and a musical talent agent riveting entertainment.
A snappy opening with truly stylish editing sets the film up to be something it isn’t. I was expecting this snappy, erratic story with an abundance of locations and high concept story. It’s quite different to that. Instead, offering an intimate one-sided spar of a conversation which compels and jests with tantalizing drama.
As a young cover band eager to break into the music business Beck (Tate Flowers’ wonderfully naive band member) and Lloyd (John Rousseau) find themselves in a stylish bar opposite the star performer in John Baker Butler playing Eddie Chapman, a showboating talent agent possessing a quietly menacing stature, oozing dominance and self-obsessed wisdom.
In Eddie Chapman, the short has an entirely pragmatic and charismatic ‘lead’. And it knows this. With the relentless wit of the screenplay playing to him and thrusting the most terrifically dialogue-heavy episodes onto the character.
His magnetic dynamism can’t help but grip you. His domineering sensibility and utter assuredness is the classic contrast to the youthful bright-eyed band who share no forethought to their career. Beck doesn’t have the business vigour with terrific insights like ‘if it sounds good it sounds good’, with an unsureness failing to earn him much respect in the eyes of Chapman. Rousseau’s Lloyd isn’t much better but has the nous to hide it.
With just the one setting and total lack of movement from characters, it’s impressive how much dirty energy is afforded in the dazzling but grungy setting. A wonderful grimy, yet golden glow to the dingy downtown bar is a nice hint towards the silent nastiness of the industry bubbling underneath. It’s the kind of quietly dirty setting which fits with the eye-opening revelation to the duo on the monetary control of the music business. They’re simple-minded soles. They just like covering songs.
There is a slight stagnation (in the broadly excellent script from Joe Anderson and Paul Campa) in the middle but all is forgiven with the dramatically sumptuous finale. It’s exploding with the submissive naivety of the pair of musicians who are caught unawares by the opportunity that arises. This allows for Chapman to truly hits his fearsome stride with equally excellent camerawork.
For a short with credible intent Portrait of a Rocker promises a lot with its dashing opening and delivers on it with praiseworthy heights in its shrewd script and tremendous performances which warrant your inevitable attention and appreciation because of its enthralling drama.
