The DVD:
Bent's theme is water, the way it moves, the way it transforms itself (the whole "solid, liquid to gas" metaphor) and its completely unpredictable nature. Using this rather wet analogy, Bent draws parallels between rivers and its characters, raindrops and the storylines presented and snowfall and the gorgeous quality of the visual palette. While each short film here is offered separately, meaning outside of a single presentation, the best way to enjoy Bent is to watch everything: the films and the wrap around material. This introductory footage contains outstanding shots of nature and how it interacts with storm clouds and streams. Supplying a narration over the evocative images that more or less walks us through the messages offered in each film, director Jason Santos tries to tie everything together in a pretty presentation. He more of less succeeds. While the musings can meander and are often a little heavy handed and oblique, it does set a tone and a mood for Bent (which derives it's title from the notion that forces outside of life can come along and twist your fate or destiny, rendering your existence "bent") and prepares us for the several samples of Santo's signature style.

Santo also delves into several cinematic types throughout the course of the 10 shorts offered here. There is some horror, a little sci-fi, a sexual thriller and a 80s campus comedy rip-off. Also scattered within the main types are bows to such genres as the crime drama, the character study and the silent film. One of the more amazing aspects of this collection is how well Santo manages to make his point within each of these occasionally polar opposite filmmaking categories. Though not always successful from a narrative or acting standpoint, the short films of Bent are never boring or derivative. While Santo is relying on archetypes to get him through the finer points of a motion picture style, he always brings his own keen visual flair to the mix. Looking at each film offered here individually, we can see some of the director's creative renderings – as well as suffer through some of his inconsistent fumbles. Let's start with:

Disc 1:
Marisa
Plot: After a whirlwind fling, a young woman is left to face the emotional and physical consequences. She decides to take drastic measures to settle the score.

Highly stylized, brilliantly shot and expertly edited, Marisa begins our descent into Bent and the trip is tricky right from the start. What we will soon learn about filmmaker Joe Santo is that while he is a fantastic visual artist and more than capable behind the camera, his writing is hackneyed, clichéd and crammed with formulaic touches. Marisa is a perfect example of this fact. The movie is amazing to look at, the experimental tone matching perfectly with the compositional choices to really enhance and illustrate the issues involved in the story. But the tale being told is as stale as old bread: woman falls in love, woman is used, woman regrets the choices, woman seeks revenge. There is nothing new in that narrative flow, and we soon learn that this is the major flaw that will fluster many of Santo's shorts. One does have to admire the craftsmanship and the commitment to cinematic flair. But just like an expertly made vase, without anything novel or inventive to recommend it, the visual beauty grows dull after a while. Score: 2 out of 5

Haunted
Plot: When a group of thugs gather in a warehouse after a successful 'hit', they confront each other, and an ethereal presence seeking revenge.

Though it starts off like The Blair Witch Project and tosses in a little gangland standoff shtick ala a thousand other mob movies, what Haunted is really attempting is a good old-fashioned spook show. Things go bump in the night – actually, they go THHHHWANNNGGG!!! in the darkness of the set, shaking the very rafters with their aural attack. Santo mistakenly believes that noise level equals the magnitude of the fear factor, so everything scary is turned up several uncomfortable notches. As for the story itself, it is a fairly tight narrative that gets sidetracked when it tries to explain the paranormal activities interfering with the criminals. With an ending that is far too sentimental for its gunplay and bloodletting, and a couple of cockeyed performances, Haunted should have been better than it actually is. As we learn with most of Santo's input, he can occasionally create excellent premises. It's the literary execution of those ideas that gets him into trouble. Score: 3 out of 5

His Life
Plot: A young man believes he will die on the day of his 25th birthday. So he heads back to his hometown to reconnect with the past, and the people, he left behind.

As Disc 1 draws to a close, we have yet another example of a wonderful concept completely botched in the illustration. The compelling notion in this quiet, insular character study – a man who knows he will die at 25 – should have gone off into some strange or surreal Twilight Zone style storyline. But instead, this becomes a morality tale about redemption and rediscovery, and Santo's writing is not up to the task of capturing this important idea. For the first 20 minutes or so, we connect with Martin and his desire to settle his scores. We even buy the fact that he is somehow destined to drop dead. But when we learn that his leaving town may have had more to do with a debt owed to a petty gangster, and not his true desire to see the world, we begin to lose touch with his struggle. By the time he is stumbling down a lonely street, waiting for the magic hour of his demise to pass, we wonder what will really happen. The answer is sobering and only moderately satisfying. One script trip through the rewrite machine and His Life would have resonated with real insight. As it stands, it is merely a semi-successful outing. Score: 3.5 out of 5

Disc 2:
The Dinner
Plot: A group of friends get together for a dinner party. Little do the couples know that it's an attempt to rekindle an old love affair between two of the attendees.

Up until now, Bent has been brilliant in its use of visual and aural cues to sell its concepts. Usually, it's the writing that lets those elements down. Well, here is a clear case when it's the music and monochrome cinematography that destroy whatever Santo is attempting. The Dinner is a black and white blight, an obviously desaturated in post fog fest that has none of the vibrant contrast of classic Hollywood noir cinema (which it is desperately trying to copy). Instead, every scene is rendered in shades of gray and is muddy and indistinct. Using both the two-tone palette as well as a wall-to-wall musical score as obvious conceits, Santo hopes to reference the classic components of the past to add a further dimension to his drama. Only problem is, the story trips him up. The moment where a party guest puts suspicious drops in the wine glasses stands out like a plot point from another film, and when you finally discover the reason why, it still makes no sense. And the supposedly subversive "twist" to the tryst portion of the plot is just another example of a forced filmic facet. The Dinner is one of the more mediocre offerings here because, while it excels at using the silent film format as a way of telling a tale, the story is really not worth getting involved in. Score: 1.5 out of 5.

Time Heals All Wounds
Plot: Even after two years, a man is distraught over the girl who left him. He wishes that time would freeze so that he can truly get over her. And it does.

In one of the better-balanced installments of the series, a strange sci-fi dynamic is employed – for no real purpose, actually – to get to the heart of a twisted lover's triangle. During the introductory moments, Santo really turns on the visual flair (the time lapsed candle, the late afternoon glow of the living room where the characters talk) and this helps us get past some awkward acting moments (Roman Berman, who appears in several of these shorts, is only a modest thespian). And once we get into the meat of the dilemma - why his old girlfriend left him – the narrative really starts to sing. But the introduction of the space-time stoppage, more subtle than overt, kind of reboots the storyline, forcing us to toss out everything that came before to deal with the absolute absence of time. Then before we know it, the idea is abandoned for a more confessional approach to the ending. Still, Time Heals All Wounds does a decent job of getting its point across, and it is one of the few instances in Bent where the words compliment, not corrupt the filmmaking. Score: 3.5 out of 5.

In a Sky With No Angels
Plot: A lonely woman is shocked when an old acquaintance from high school calls. But the strange story he has to tell is even more mind-boggling.

Ever wonder what would happen if you took the Marge Gunderson/ Mark Yanagita scene from Fargo and fleshed it out with a backstory (borrowing a little from 1983's Brainstorm) and an ambiguous conclusion? Well, Jason Santo apparently did because almost every minute of In a Sky with No Angels reeks of those other films. While the convolutions come fast and furious (almost explained away by the third act appearance of the police and a past scam victim) this is still a story that walks a tightrope between being completely captivating and unrelentingly laughable. It's all about what you are willing to buy into. If you feel that the story being told about the mind-melding machine that's proved the existence – or lack thereof – of God, then you'll probably enjoy this entire tale. But if the suspicious warning lights go off in your head the minute you hear the outlandish tale, then your jaundiced eye will also undermine your enjoyment of the film itself. While the open-ended resolution is a plus, and the entire take on loneliness and desperation is refreshing, In a Sky with No Angels is not particularly compelling. It may be that the story is never fully formed, only hinting and inferring until it's too late to tie everything up. And the performances are fairly flat, with the cast creating acceptable, but not quite believable characters. Score: 2.5 out of 5

Disc 3:
Aftermath
Plot: When a Columbine-style shooting hits their school, friend of the victims reflect on what could have lead to such a terrible tragedy.

Disc 3 starts off with one of the better entries in the Bent series, a look at the lives of some survivors of a school shooting and how they try to reconnect with each other. Santo (along with co-director Pat Hines) does a magnificent job of measuring out the pathos and the potential in the story, never once letting the narrative veer out of control. The opening scene is pitch perfect, offering the casual creepiness that forebodes something horrible is ahead. And the use of minimal dialogue, only allowing important pieces of information to come out, is a great way to handle what's happening. Also, this is one of the few stories within this subject matter – i.e. school shootings - that allows for fault and responsibility to be more widespread and realistic. Instead of making the victims out to be saints and portraying the killers as crazy losers, Aftermath spreads the shame and blame among everyone – including the friends and family left to grieve. If anything, this short is hampered by its running time. A few more minutes would have made Aftermath that much more potent. Score: 4 out of 5

Again
Plot: While visiting some friends of his wife, a stand up comedian gets the feeling that he's been through this situation before.

About as pointless as it is pat, Again has nothing of real value to offer to this set. It seems like an experiment in image manipulation (the blurring ghost effect whenever our hero "feels" the deja vu) and sonic showcasing (the abundant echoes). The acting is barely passable and the script is filled with uninspired elements. The end result is a segment that feels half-baked and completely underdeveloped. Without giving away too much, apparently, the only real explanation given in the narrative as to why this is happening to the main character is indeed the real reason why all this is happening. And if you think about it, it's a really lame excuse for all the suggested scary movie ambiance going on. Truth be told, of all the installments in Bent, this is probably the most disappointing. Score: 1.5 out of 5

Here Comes Your Man
Plot: A selfish lothario learns that his endless one-night stands, and callous attitude towards safe sex, may have cost him his life.

Trying to come across as a cautionary tale about unsafe sexual practices, but with a weird undercurrent of horror and the supernatural, Here Comes Your Man is a hard short to make sense of. The theme is cruel and coldhearted and the illustration of its points are unusually exploitative, not contemplative. Still, there is a strange power here, a real feeling of menace that can all be attributed to Santo's stellar direction. The way he intertwines montages of intimate moments with outright symbols of disease and distrust heightens the tension and bolsters the impact of the story. Also worth noting is the marginal sexuality and rampant nudity in this short. Several of the actresses here appear topless and there is lots of simulated activity. This also adds a great deal to the elements of danger and deception being explored. While it is never as racy or important as it thinks it is, Here Comes Your Man shows that Santo's obsession with sexually transmitted diseases (they feature in at least three of the shorts here) can be treated in a serious, sobering manner. Score 3.5 out of 5

More Than Money's Worth
Plot: The rich jerks on the College Golf Team are desperate to win the State Championship. So they hire a girl to befriend their depressed Captain.

The one true comedy in the set is also the best-written installment of Bent overall. Though a few of the characterizations could be considered cliché (the Mr. Howell-style rich boys) and there is a real lack of detailed nuance (lots of broad strokes here) this boy meets-cute girl story is very entertaining. Santo uses many of his cinematic tricks to keep us off guard (allowing hi-jinx to ensue in the background as characters talk - employing funny, Nickelodeon-era music to suggest slapstick) but the real foundation of the film is the burgeoning relationship between our two leads. While Frank Parker has very little presence (and looks more dumpy than desirable), Tina Krause is very evocative as the new object of his affection. Some of the jokes are stilted (the man who is sexually aroused by ducks is just dumb) and there is not a lot of build up in the budding relationship for us to have a real emotional stake in what happens. But it is clear that, when working with better scripted material, Santo becomes a near-complete filmmaker. More Than Money's Worth is a perfect example of Santo's potential as a moviemaker and also explains why Bent is such an interesting collection. Score: 4.5 out of 5

The Bent trilogy has a great deal going for it, so much so that it is recommended for fans of experimental film as well as lovers of good old fashioned short subjects. Above anything else this collection represents, one thing is certain: Jason Santo is an amazing visual stylist. After watching the opening montages of rain, snow, rivers, oceans and rivulets of water, you'll wonder why he's not making nature documentaries. This is not to downplay the power in his actual fictional cinematic eye, but Santo has a way with the great outdoors that is truly spellbinding. As an image-oriented filmmaker, Santo packs a lot of punch to his pictures. There is not a single unattractive or unprofessional moment in the entire run of Bent. Along with his cameramen and cinematographers, his compositions are expertly framed and bursting with life. There can be an over reliance on the deliberate designs of elemental mise-en-scene (Santo sometimes edits with one eye on the narrative and the other on the multi-angle montage) but at least the auteur is working within a familiar framework. Exploring the limits of the lens and lighting, Santo also expands his canvas to take in noticeable artistic touches (the broken mirror with a rose of Marisa) and untried elements (the unsuccessful black and white "video" of The Dinner). Unlike other creative individuals, Santo is always exploring his craft, not settling into one specific approach or narrative variety.

But again, these presentations are far from perfect, and scripting is the sole controllable reason why (it is really not fair to harp on amateurish acting skills when most of the cast are friends and/or family of the filmmakers). It is obvious that, when he works with someone else's words (as he does in Aftermath) Santo really shines. His way with a camera compliments and contains the thoughts being forwarded. But Santo has no ear for real dialogue. Many of the films here are laced with laughable lines dripping with long dead clichés. Santo also likes to subvert his straight ahead stories with tone-trampling twists, attempts at enlivening the plotline at the expense of the subject matter. Using such stale excuses as "the black comedy" or the "horror ideal" for his tale tampering, there are times in Bent where you will ask yourself where this motivation, or that specific character trait, suddenly came from. Since a short film, by its very nature, can't offer up enough foundation to make such shifts seem plausible, a couple of Santo's creations – specifically Again and In a Sky with No Angels – are jarring when they should be just right. While overall, Santo is successful with his attempts at spinning yarns of limited scale, he occasionally lets his unpolished writing undermine perfectly believable pieces. If Bent has a major flaw, it's this desire to deceive. Unfortunately, it always seems to backfire on the creator, and indirectly, his audience.

The Video:
If it is acknowledged for nothing else, one has to admit how absolutely magnificent Bent looks as a visual presentation. With the vast majority of the movies being direct from video vibrant, the 1.33:1 full screen image is just stunning. This is an amazing looking DVD, with radiant colors, excellent contrast and a fantastic depth of detail. Disc 3 does offer three of its entries in 1.66:1 non-anamorphic widescreen (utilizing a Canon camera that allows for a faux video to film transfer look) and the difference is amazing. Some of the "filmed" moments look muddy and indistinct. But when it sticks to the handheld format, the transfer of Bent is one of the best ever. This is an astounding looking DVD.

The Audio:
Overall, the sound for Bent is captured in a professional and pristine manner by Santo and his gang. Offered up in a stock Dolby Digital Stereo presentation, there is not a whole lot of profundity to the dialogue. But when it comes to evocative or atmospheric music, Bent shines all over again. The wide variety of songs (from hard rock to folk ballads) and styles (from new age to nu-metal) employed means that the channels, while given little challenge, actually awaken with aural wonders whenever the tunes take over. But a couple of the shorts have sonic issues. Haunted specifically is as schizophrenic as these films get. The volume of dialogue fluctuates wildly, and whenever the Aliens shock sound effect is used to signify something scary is happening, the decibels nearly destroy your home theater.

The Extras:
Bent is overstuffed with added features, mostly consisting of trailers and behind the scenes "conversations" with the director. Santo and several of his cast sit down and discuss each film at length. These presentations, between 10 to 30 minutes in duration, really add insight and information to the production. From their professional look and set-up, you can tell Santo and company take this opportunity very seriously and try to avoid sounding stupid or silly. Unfortunately, same cannot be said for the sole commentary on this set, a full length goof-off for More Than Money's Worth. Santo is joined by several of the cast members and each of these ancillary figures decides its time to test out new stand-up comedy routines. The ridiculous jokes fly fast and furious and when not taunting or teasing each other, the men are jeering and catcalling at Tina Krause (the female lead, not present of the alternative track). We learn very little about the production and even less about the reason why this comedy was crafted the way it was. More like a drunken get together than a true glimpse at the making of this film, the commentary is a complete waste of time. Stick with the featurettes; they provide the data and anecdotes that make Bent such a stellar DVD package.

Final Thoughts:
With everything that it has going for it, Bent should have been better. There are dozens of independent filmmakers out there who would give their eyepiece teeth to own just a fraction of director Jason Santo's visual gifts. And when it comes to interesting premises and fresh ideas, Santo's short films are brimming with potential. But instead of excelling, most of Bent feels hindered, sometimes by its amateur elements, in other instances by the lack of concrete commitment. But perhaps the biggest limitation featured in these mini-movies is the lack of literary cohesiveness. Like a writer whose pen jumps ahead of the ideas in his head, Santo is better at imagining and realizing his inventive storylines than actually crafting scripts around them. Yet Bent is one of the better independent offerings to showcase the lost art of the short film. Jason Santo deserves credit for attempting a multi-media collage collection, drawing on divergent genre types and cinematic styles to create a unique, and occasionally powerful, personal statement. On sheer scope along, Bent deserves undeniable credit. However, unless he decides to work more often in a collaborative mode, director Santo will struggle to be a complete filmmaker. His camera is incredible. His narratives lack polish.

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