'Liquor Bank' | Bothered by the Bottle

Few things in movies concern me more than the notice "based on a true story." Such things come off as warnings in my mind, with impressions of silly sap and notes of overly melodramatic actions. Surely, a "true story" that "really" happened could, in fact, have been all of the above ways - it's just how reality works. How people work. When presented on screen, however, what was true tragedy can be turned into farce.

For the short film Liquor Bank, directed by Marcellus Cox, touches of melodrama feel appropriate. It's the story of an ex-marine (though, once a marine...) who is at the beginning of an alcohol relapse. It is also the story of his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor Baker, who acts as his guide through the support program. Here, these two young black men, in this shabby one-bedroom apartment, hash out topics like responsibility, decision making, and, of course, the drinking.

In a film like this, a ringtone doesn't just act as a notification for a call or message, but as an "alert" for something "alarming" that has or will happen shortly. Eddie, the ex-marine, wakes up to this cosmic-sounding beat, exhausted at the promise of a rough day to come. An empty bottle of beer, on its side, rests in stillness between the two. But nothing is really still in this picture, right? In any picture, really. So much said, simply shown, and without speech.

The arrival of Baker, Eddie's sponsor, doesn't appear to be the true wake up call of the film as it's meant to be, but don't take a soft voice to be so tender. Despite his big size, Baker doesn't intimidate with anything physical, which wouldn't help Eddie anyway. Rather, his primary position is honesty, even the aggressive kind. Assertive, true, and right on time.

Once the two men get together, Liquor Bank slows down and becomes about this pairing of performers in such a small environment, lightly ruffling each other's frustrated feathers. This is no stage play, and neither actor speaks to the back of the crowd. For the rest of the film, visual cues like the ones at the onset disappear, and all that's left are moments and the spaces they occupy.

Maybe there's too much care given to the movie after the first minute, or maybe there's not "enough" story to fill things out with, but Liquor Bank is, at all times, truthful and itself. There's no pretending or pretentiousness. It's made for the purpose of showcasing the kind of drama that anyone can go through, not necessarily to change lives. It's a movie, and that's that.

No flare, no manufactured excitement, and no force to be found with this film. Just moments, honest and noble. It doesn't burst with drama so much as it presents with a pulse. That's enough. 3.5/5

Liquor Bank can be viewed on YouTube via the Omeleto channel.

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