The Lines in Their Faces

In a busy West Hollywood restaurant, a man (Sean Patrick Irvin) sits at the centre table, silently composing a piece of sheet music, while the brief but revelatory conversations of his fellow patrons play out their own symphony around him.

The Lines in Their Faces, writer, producer and director Waide Riddle’s short film comprised of a small collection of very short conversational vignettes, aims to shine a spotlight on a mere handful of the endless number of personal stories that are happening all around us every day. Having a composer right at the centre of all this hustle and bustle is perfectly fitting and clever, what initially presents as a mere cacophony of background restaurant rabble soon becomes something of a fully-fledged piece. As the film swiftly guides us around the restaurant and in and out of this company of uniquely intriguing characters and situations, each table visit is akin to focusing in on an individual section of this veritable conversational orchestra, each bringing their own unique contribution to the film's own kind of music.

And so, Riddle definitely hits many of the right notes with the film's structure, idea and even with its diversity in characters and narratives. Each tale is as different from the last as it can be, but all are equally as relatable and approachable as the rest, and those stories are all buoyed by a decent cast as well. But in fact, it’s the film’s intimate presentation here that might be the real winner, with Riddle allowing us to get so up close and personal to each of these stories that we feel like we are sitting right there at the next table, naughtily listening in where we shouldn’t be.

But while its premise is solid and this is for sure a film filled with a lot of skill and even more promise, The Lines in Their Faces leaves a lot of that potential untapped, and unfortunately, wraps everything up long before it’s even properly begun. Each story deserves a beat or two more inside it to breathe, really take hold and perhaps whet the appetite a bit more, whereas instead, one finds themselves right on the cusp of real intrigue for each story before being whisked away all too quickly to the next table and before you know it, the bill has been paid and we’re out the door. Riddle’s ability to draw their audience in so quickly speaks volumes as to an undeniable talent for writing, it’s just a shame we don’t get longer to enjoy it.

It would have been fantastic to see The Lines in Their Faces be given a bit more time and space to shine as something bigger and fuller than a quick flying visit, but its overall execution and promise make it very exciting to see what Riddle does next.