Multi-Facial (1995)
Calling Cards
23 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Vin Diesel wrote and directed this short film, based on his experiences as a struggling actor. The film consists of Vin attending various auditions, changing his appearances, dialogue and line-delivery, constantly trying to "be somebody" in order to "impress" the casting directors. It's an interesting idea: "being somebody" in order to "impress somebody" so you can to "be somebody" and "impress somebodies".

The film highlights how exploitative the movie business can be, how seductive its icons are, how these icons lure impressionable youths to Hollywood, how desperate actors become and how fickle the business of acting is.

One wonders, however, if Vin simply made this film to showcase his range as an actor. The film consists of several audition sequences in which Vin adopts different accents, different styles and different personas (he even raps in one scene), mimicking Pacino, Stallone, Brando etc. Is Vin trying to show off? Is he trying to wow us with his range? Or is this all meant to be a bit comedic?

If Vin is honestly trying to stun us with his acting, then he fails miserably. Or rather, because he fails, the film takes on the form of a really sad tragedy, Vin mourning his own desperation; his own, in a way, uselessness.

7.9/10 – Worth one viewing..
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