Written and directed by Michael C. Martin. DP was Michael Fimognari.
'10 Cent Pistol' is an ambitious low budget film I ran across on Showtime. Fimognari, I believe, makes exclusive use of natural light in every scene. It lends the film a realistic feel but sacrifices quality.
The most annoying aspect is the footage ends up looking grainy. I had this same issue shooting on digital. If you don't have enough light hitting the sensor everything ends up looking like the music video my dad shot for his failed thrash metal band 'Up Up, Down Down, DEAD'. Now, Fimognari is a pro who shot one of my favorite horror movies, '
Occulus', so I assume this was a conscious decision. It just doesn't seem to serve the film well.
The dissolve edit was a favorite for '10 Cent Pistol'. It has the effect of maintaining the
poignancy of a scene but it's liberal use tends to "dissolve" the technique's effectiveness.
The scene in the living room with the police makes use of close ups. We have all the parties in a circle and the camera cuts to close ups of each of them. Normally this is used to amplify tension, but when you learn the twist, it turns out this is a set up to sell the audience on the grift.
Looking back on the framing, the camera implies some sort of connection between the cops and the robbers. See how their heads take up the same amount of space on screen, it's a sly visual bit of foreshadowing.
Loved this shot at the end, as the two leads end up face to face. They share their fate.
Take it or leave it. It's low budget and looks it. The acting is a bit stiff and the plot couldn't overcome the stilted dialogue.
