david-rosberg

IFC just showed this yesterday on their short showcase. What a great use of silence and expression, rather than relying on dialog. The punchline is wickedly funny as well. The director's use of ambient sound, combined with the sound of the phone answering machine and the looks on the faces of the couple receiving the bad news works perfectly. The non-stop pitch of the all-too smarmy salesman comes at a perfect time, and seems to encapsulate, for the couple the source of their troubles, which have brought them to the brink of disaster. The somewhat grainy black and white cinematography is a nice touch, taking a specific incident and couple and making them a timeless representation of the frustrations that many couples have.