Our humanity is only truly tested in moments of crisis. The same goes for faith. This could be, in brief, the central idea of the short film ‘At the Mercy of Faith‘, which explores the identity crisis of a character driven by circumstances to the brink of despair. But more than a Faustian story about the temptation of evil, director Andrew Arguello delivers the story of a modern job, a captivating reinterpretation of the famous biblical character whose faith was tested beyond the limits of endurance. However, there isn’t the same cruelty so specific to the Old Testament, even if the moralizing undertone of the short film slightly risks nullifying the impact of a character whose abysmal psychology is halfway between Dostoevskian turmoil and Quixotic idealism. What is certain is that we are faced with a commendable artistic initiative whose conceptual consistency and technical execution reveal an extremely promising directorial vision.

 

After a childhood and adolescence devoted to the word of God, Marvin’s destiny is completely altered by tragedy. Following this event, the man seems to be drawn unwillingly into the eye of an inexplicable vortex that brings him closer and closer to the feeling of an existential failure. But unseen forces beyond perceptible reality present him with a choice that could rehabilitate him. Or could it be the opposite?

 

In a sometimes-overwhelming narrative progression inspired by the gothic spirit of Flannery O’Connor’s literature, Andrew Arguello reveals the key points of a destiny constantly haunted by the spectre of a tragic farce. With a keen aesthetic sense, supported by enviable technical execution, the thriller-like atmosphere of this short film has a special gloomy sensoriality. From one point of view, the scale of this project may seem incompatible with the specific limitations of a short film, which leaves a slightly bitter taste in the face of an ostensibly incomplete narrative. But far from failing in his project, the director leaves room for the promise of an extended version that will give him the space and time necessary to explore the entire potential of his protagonist, whose life metaphorically captures the spiritual crisis of a secularized society, indifferent to the pain of others. Even in this form, however, ‘At the Mercy of Faith’ impresses with its obvious qualities and the professionalism of the entire creative team.

 

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