TELL ME YOU LOVE ME – Short Film Review

TELL ME YOU LOVE ME is an intensely personal short film co-written and co-directed by Gary C. Warren (THE PATH OF TORMENT, BEST LAID SCHEMES) and Sharon Wright.

Sharon Wright (CANDY APPLE RED, THREE BLIND SAINTS) also stars in the film as a woman tormented by the memory of a violent act committed against her in the past. Now, with everything around her a reminder of what she has endured, emotions boil to a head, leading to an ironic conclusion.

This 5-plus minute short film is a dramatic thriller that packs an audio/visual wallop to accompany the equally emotional story. Warren’s style comes through primarily in his editing, as is the case with his two feature films as well, cutting abruptly and precisely to associate disconnected moments in time and evoke and enhanced sensory response. Warren’s choice of music for the soundtrack is also significant to the filmmaker’s interpretation, which was inspired by actual events.

Wright, an actress and model who has a charming and innocent glow about her, puts all of that on the line in this role, which demanded both physical and emotional turbulence. Jeffrey Staab (LAST WILL, ALL ROADS LEAD HOME) plays the man who commits the act of violence on Wright’s character. A slightly older man, but clearly unstable, his character is the catalyst for the woman’s anxiety and fear that haunts her daily life, made evident by Wright’s performance.

TELL ME YOU LOVE ME is a film that offers a lot in a very small package. The film will premiere as past of the Bare Bones International Film Festival on Wednesday, April 27th at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame and Museum, followed by a string of other festival appearances.