Starring: Jacob Perkins, David Moragas, Jordan Geiger
Director: David Moragas
Country: Spain
En route to San Francisco, Marcos (Moragas) is forced to stay overnight in New York when his connecting flight is cancelled and he has to stay at a friend’s apartment with someone he doesn’t know: Alan (Perkins), a neurotic and over-worked app developer. As Marcos’ jetlag causes him to drift in and out of sleep as the storm rages outside, Alan works through the night and the two get to know each other in brief moments throughout the storm.
Shot in moody black and white in a vain attempt to create atmosphere, the film gains little from this restricted palate. The two men’s conversation covers their differences in philosophy, culture and outlook on fidelity. And they flirt, wildly.
Since Before Sunrise set the bar for real-time romances, there have been a slew of similar movies, of which A Stormy Night is the latest. Moragas is both actor and director here and he is a compelling screen presence, but his American counterpart is whiny and Woody Allen-esque… and not in a good way. As a filmic meeting between Europe and America, the former comes off much, much better.
There is some witty banter between the two, but it’s a fairly pointless film with not a lot to say and is wholly style over substance. It’s a shame, because Moragas is clearly a lot more talented than this film would have you believe.
OUT NOW TO WATCH ON DEKKOO.