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Currently Playing: ROB ROY | Omeleto

Two men meet. Kevin is an anxious young computer programmer who has gotten himself embroiled in a hacking scheme that results in a large amount of money that isn't his own. He's arranged to meet Branson, a ruthless gangster, at a bar to return the stolen money. His new girlfriend, Tara, has joined him at the bar, curious despite the warnings from Kevin. But coming clean is not so easy, as Kevin discovers when he meets Branson, who isn't so keen on being taken for a ride in any way. Kevin's night spirals into violence and betrayal as he discovers that no one is what they seem and allegiances can shift at any moment. Directed by Enrique Mendoza and written by Ren Olivieri, this compelling short drama is a contemporary riff on the gangster and film noir genre, chronicling the confrontation between a seasoned, menacing gangster and a smart but naive techie who doesn't realize how in over his head he is until it's too late. Watching Kevin try to squirm his way out is the crux of the action, as well as the source of some of the film's dark humor. It's not just a confrontation between an upstart and a gangster whose turf has been invaded, but a clash between an ethos that knows no boundaries and another that insists on control and respect of its territory. Told with an elegant visual simplicity and clarity, the storytelling confines itself to the few key players and the environs of a dark, weathered bar, presided over by a bartender who just wants to keep everything simple and quiet. But its well-woven, intricate dialogue deftly spins a more complicated tale of a precocious, overly clever young computer programmer who nosed his way into a situation he can't hack his way out of easily. Kevin, as portrayed by actor Laurent Sayer, is clever and glib, bordering on naive, thinking it's a simple matter of returning the money. Played with coiled menace by actor Sean Power, Branson believes otherwise; Kevin's girlfriend, Tara -- played by actor Salma Khalidi -- curiously keeps quiet, observing the scene, though we suspect she's more knowing and intelligent than her beau. The scene plays out almost like the climax of a larger film, paced at first with an almost leisurely care that puts all the pieces on the board. But as the confrontation quickens with the threat of violence and Branson reveals his capacity for brutality, ROB ROY ratchets up the tension considerably until it explodes, like many films in the genre, with a storm of bullets, bursts of bloodshed and the reveal of a complicated web of deceit. As it turns out, Kevin never had a chance. Instead, he discovered actions have consequences, some people can't be trusted and some things you can't take back. ROB ROY. Courtesy of Enrique Mendoza at https://youtube.com/@EnriqueAMendoza.