Dare

"Light Boy" Ben admires Johnny, the star of the new school play ("A streetcar named desire"). Unbeknownst to Johnny, this admiration will soon turn into lust. What then? Can the two boys remain friends or after certain limits are crossed there is no turning back? When Johnny invites Ben to swim together after having a few drinks, the conversation will become more intimate.

Both actors manage to convey a youthful spark, while at the same time expressing defined personalities in this brief story. It was especially interesting to see Michael Cassidy play a role only too familiar to his character in The OC or Hidden Palms, although here perhaps he is a most riveting seducer, full of sensuality.

There is something very subtle in the way these two boys interact with each other. Not only because of the ambiguous source of desire that ignites a more contact physical exchange between them or Ben's suggestion of practicing a fellatio on Johnny. As they move swiftly in the swimming pool, it's easy to realize that, indeed, something lies beneath the surface.

In the credits, director Adam Salky acknowledges filmmaker Tom Kalin; then it should be easy to understand why the fascination towards ambiguity and the subtlety are paramount guidelines in this short film.