Brazilian film-maker Luciano de Azevedo has returned with another short horror film, and I’ll watch anything he puts out there after his previous, wildly demented titles Cabrito and Rosalita. Azevedo has a style and vision all of his very own, and it’s a joy to see what he’s going to come up with next. Well, the wait is over, as I was provided with a digital screener of Released from Love, which I wasn’t sure of its genre until I started my viewing. Honestly, I thought maybe Azevedo had stepped out of his horror constraints in an attempt to conquer the world of comedy, but no – from the get go, Released from Love has a noticeable level of uncertainty and an unseen, looming menace waiting to drop like a truth bomb. Lighter on story with more emphasis on mood and special effects, this six minute short film from Old Man Films stars Edina Marcia Zinato Respeita, Mauro Pianta and Savia Cristina Rosa.
Released from Love, at its core, is a simple dinner story with food and wine being shared between loved ones. But, what meat are they eating? And, where did it come from? First and foremost, Luciano de Azevedo did such a superb job behind the camera that I mostly sat back and looked at all the shots of food. Pass me a plate, please, even though its contents is revealed to be… unsavory. You know, as I review this short film, it’s funny to realize that my only critique comes in the form of food measurements. There needs to be more potatoes on the plates and more wine in the glasses. If you’re doing a food-based short film, and if you’re going to increase my appetite, you better deliver a bigger meal! And I am quite literally talking about food here and not using it as a metaphor for quality of production and story! Even though the dinner menu was far outside my comfort zone, I couldn’t help but to think, “damn, that looks good.”
Deviating from his typical mommy issues and dabbling in the occult influences, Azevedo went with a different approach with Released from Love and turned it into a quasi-experimental, almost classical and artistic narrative. I use the word narrative loosely, as this title features no dialogue what-so-ever and features woodsy instrumentals over pulse-raising scores. An artistic, silent, mysterious short film highlighted with buckets of gore and subtle suspense. Released from Love is a hidden gem and a surprise hit wrapped up in one. Although Azevedo served as chief director, writer, cinematographer, producer and editor, he was also helped in this endeavor by co-writers Carolina Queiroz and Luana Frasson and co-producers Andrea Garcia, Lucas Nascimento and Giovana Enham. Together, this team has provided an incredibly impressive and enthralling project, which turns out to be my favorite piece of cinema from Azevedo so far.
It’s like a restaurant commercial on crack! Final Score: 8.5 out of 10.
