Captain Movie Review

The words have to come from somewhere. Some thing, some event, some one has to inspire them. Some writers wait a lifetime for inspiration that never comes. Steve might be one of those doomed writers.

In the short film “Captain,” the hapless Steve (Jack Sundmacher) has been exiled from a writing class taught by award-winning crime novelist Carl (Bjorn Johnson). Steve exhibited promise in class, but Carl decides that the only way to challenge Steve is to force him to leave class and not return until he demonstrates a serious commitment to writing. But this exercise isn’t working for Steve, who is reaching a breaking point.

When Carl asks Steve to watch his diminutive puppy named Captain while Carl and his wife Trish (Nicole Stuart) are out of town, Steve is perplexed by the request. Why has Carl chosen Steve for this task? Why does this pigmy-like puppy need to take anti-depressants? And why is Trish so flirty? No matter, Steve needs the cash, and maybe some of Carl’s talent will rub off in the process.

Mainly an opportunity for good actors to display their talents, “Captain” is more form over substance. Case in point, Nicole Stuart flexes her appealing body while doing a bit of yoga or Pilates in a scene that works by introducing sexual tension on top of Steve’s disorientation. What is being said in that scene is really irrelevant; the tone struck works regardless whether it promotes the plot. But there is something subversive afoot.

“Captain’s” narrative is quirky enough to hide the mystery over the short film’s 14-minute running time. But the real delight is watching the actors spar with one another. Written by stars Stuart and Sundmacher, director Max Cady knows how to get out of the way and permit his actors to feed on the built in short-hand understanding of the material. Writers will relate to Steve’s plight and instantly understand Steve’s interest in finding inspiration in another writer’s method.

Of note is the puppy in the film. The dog is very tiny and irresistibly cute. And just to satisfy my curiosity, I will contact the filmmaker and see if he can tell us more about it and send me a photo. This small star does manage to nearly upstage the other actors at times. And Captain is exactly the right name for this little guy--a star in the making.