Villanelle is a 2013 gothic noir film from Writer/Director Rick Laprade. It follows the intertwined stories of down and out detective Burke and the mysterious and beautiful Dawn. The film clocks in at just under 76 minutes and its relatively short running time is a strength of the movie. The story uses all of its runtime perfectly and never feels too long or too short.
This is the first movie I’ve watched from Director Rick Laprade but I will be watching more of his work in the future. He crafts ethereal dream sequences beautifully and has a knack for background scenery shots. There’s a lot of technical skill in this film and when watching, although obvious it’s a low budget, scenes are executed with precision and care. This film is another good example of making the most out of a micro budget by providing a quality story.
I was very impressed with the way the film mixes a retro 1950s vocal jazz and modern industrial music together. They add excellent depth to their scenes and bolster the impressive directing done by Laprade. I was lucky enough to see a screener version of this film which is now on the festival circuit. I highly recommend seeing it when it comes to your town and buying a copy once it’s released on DVD or VOD. The film features strong acting, a wonderful soundtrack and innovative and technical directing techniques. A must see.