Short Film Review One: Luv Deluxe

An In-depth Review of Luv Deluxe from Future Shorts:

Please watch the film before reading, as the review contains “spoilers”. In other words, I tell you the storyline while reviewing it, so watching it first might help...




Luv Deluxe is a short film from director Saman Keshavarz and is about how one simple moment can lead to three different destructive storylines in which there is no good outcome for the characters.

The film is shown from the perspective of a man who, at the start of the story, leaves home “for good” and drives towards what the character must hope is a new life. He meets a girl at a garage, who we assume has been stranded there by whoever she is speaking to on the payphone. The man and the woman start to travel together, and stop for a meal at a diner. This is where the true story begins.

The chaos theory is something that has always intrigued me. How one small event can have such massive consequences has always influenced me in my beliefs and in my writing. Watching this short film and seeing the chaos theory being used in such a good way was a delight for me. Usually the chaos theory is used by filmmakers and writers in poor ways, but this short film was different to these poor attempts.

The one small event that sparked off three alternative storylines was the act of paying or not paying the bill at the diner. The first story was caused when the girl ripped up the bill and the pair ran. It was a whirlwind romance which included the pair becoming embroiled in crime and eventually being caught by the police. The second story was caused when the man ripped up the bill. This story saw the man being obnoxious and abusive towards the woman, and also showed the man going on a self-destructive path but ultimately being murdered by the woman. The third story shows the man paying the bill, and how the woman ends up stealing from people and ultimately being found by the man with a man, or group of men, who have overdosed on pills. The story ends with the man trying to contact the police, but the woman shooting the man. The man also shoots the woman.

From my point of view, the story was fantastic and was told in such a way that hooks the viewer from the first moment. The decision by Keshavarz to film it entirely from the viewpoint of the man was a decision that was right. This viewpoint allows the viewer to immerse themselves into the story. This viewpoint especially works when the man is being slapped, punched, stabbed and shot.

The film is shot entirely with no dialogue between the characters, and this works well as the storyline is self-explanatory through the images. In fact, it is my belief that if this film used dialogue it would have been ruined.

All in all, this short film (being among the first I’ve seen) was fantastic. The storyline was gripping, vibrant and energetic. The way it was shot was perfect. The music chosen as the soundtrack was also chosen well.

Matt Coot gives Saman Keshavarz two thumbs up for Luv Deluxe.

In the beginning...

If the internet existed thousands of years ago, would the Bible have existed in blog form? In my opinion, I think it would have done. Just imagine it...
"Hey guys, I just created everything. Good day's work IMO. Oh yeah, and I just created you! Think I'm gonna call you Adam. Yeah, that seems like a good idea. Whatever you do, don't eat the fruit from that tree!"
and then a few thousand years after that...
"I'm a father! I have a son! He's gonna die for you lot, but for now he'll be miraculous!"
Anyway, I'm not God and I'm not really that religious, so that's the last time I'll speak about God etc. This blog is simply to pass on my thoughts and to keep you all informed about my life as a writer.
Which reminds me, I haven't told you about myself! I'm Matt Coot, a writer and a student. I'm currently studying Creative Writing and Education at Bath Spa University and I have a part time job at WH Smith, in Bath, as a weekend manager. My aim in my life is to be a published novelist and a scriptwriter for film, as well as possibly being a producer or director. My journey to being this will be detailed in a fun and informative manner on this blog. I hope you enjoy.
Well, that's it for now! Hope you enjoyed reading this blog and will continue to read my updates.
Cheers,

Matt Coot