Review for ‘‘Only Actors’’ by Cole Mandras

Only Actors is young Cole Mandras' student project, a stylish and deep short film wherein the writers explore the interplay of artists' personal lives with their craft, and the inevitable clash of ego in a relationship.

Steeped in drama from the first second, Only Actors' play-within-a-film structure allows it to keep things dynamic by utilizing more than one setting and style to frame its main strength, the characters and their conflict. The short story of a gay couple of artists is told in two levels, reality and the play. In both settings, the dialogue centers around the creator's need for innovation, finding artistic inspiration in a loved one, jealousy and the way we frame events in our head and how we reproduce them, especially through art. Throughout all this, the director's eye for detail and love of cinema throughout the 20th century is evident, as well as the impact queer stories and great queer creators have had on him.

Aesthetically, the film is nearly impeccable, especially given its budget. The art direction is great and very reminiscent of the 70s melodramas its trying to invoke. Costume design is another area of note, as well as the editing in the real world sequences, which is snappy and contrasts effectively with the dreamy, as-if-covered-in-honey camerawork in the play. Finally, the three principal performances are expert and do the great script justice.

In conclusion, Only Actors, though not a novel concept, iterates on the self-referential art-about-art centering on the lives of two gay artists and how their interpersonal tumult informs their various creative outputs. All in all an amazing effort for a student film, and, from our POV, a great basis for a full-length feature in the future.