A Predictable Twist
Siren Hits Wrong Note
There is a point in the film noir short Siren when things begin to turn bad for Ned (Gregory Pedemonte). His scheme to bilk his boss out of a ton of cash with the help of his mistress Charlie (Sarah Korda) has gone sour and she points a gun at him. It might have been a neat little twist if it hadn't been so obvious from the start.
Directed by: Andrew Mandapat
Written by: Andrew Mandapat
Starring: Gregory Pedemonte, Sarah Korda, Stephanie Lytle and John A. Mercer
Rated 
Running time: 18 min.
FilmGuru's Rating : 3 out of 10.
The writer/director of this film, Andrew Mandapat, claims that he was influenced by classic films like Double Indemnity and The Maltese Falcon. Yet it feels that he has little familiarity with the genre and merely copied what he saw in those two films.
The dialog is laughable at times. I couldn't believe it when I heard Ned use the tired line "I've heard said that there's a million stories in the naked city. Mine isn't much to tell, but you're going to hear it anyway. I got no place else to go." Even for a film noir, a line like that is tired and cliche.
Perhaps the fault of the film lies not in the writing but in the medium. Part of the charm of a good film noir is in the slow revelation of plot points, making the audience see characters and situations for what they really are. In Siren, the revelations come too quick and seem contrived as a result. Like a play that is performed in only seconds, it seems rushed to the point of farce.
This short film suffers from the same production problems as most amateur films. The sound quality (especially in the first scene) is horrible. The actors abilities rise to varying degrees. More importantly, however, the story lacks any real substance. In the case of Siren, the story seems like a retread of every film noir stereotype, including the cheesy narration by a dying man.
The music of the film, Tanya Fermin performing "Tea For Two" and Cara Young singing "Insatiable," is the high point of the film. These torch songs wonderfully set the stage for a black and white crime drama.
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