While on a business trip to Vegas, Aldo (Jarrod Weintraub) gets a call from co-worker Jennifer (Rebecca Seubert), inviting him to a night out on the town. After several drinks, Jennifer proposes a crazy idea – she suggests that they get married. Jennifer explains that since second marriages are statistically more successful than first ones, they should get married, then get it annulled so that, in theory, they will both be better off. Not quite in control of his faculties, Aldo agrees and they tie the knot.
The next morning, however, a more sober Aldo realizes what has happened and now demands that they immediately get the annulment. But Jennifer points out that since they’ve already consummated the marriage, they can’t get it annulled. She also admits to having deep feelings for Aldo and actually wanting to remain married to him. So, befitting the city of Vega, Aldo decides to let their fate rest on the flip of a coin – heads, stay married; tails, get the annulment.
Content
This film did a good job at setting the stage, introducing the characters, and then defining the plot in a short period of time – this is perhaps the biggest challenge in making a short film. One of my favorite parts was in the opening credits where Aldo, Jennifer, and several other people are sitting through what looks to be a very boring meeting. This opening scene started out blurry, then gradually came into focus. In a subtle way this seemed to place the viewer in the place of an attendee who may have dozed off for a moment, and is now groggily trying to catch up. This also gives the clear impression that the meeting is extremely boring.
There was also a great little montage at the point in which Aldo wakes up and realizes that the night before wasn’t a dream. There are a series of quick cuts to show the wedding Polaroid, the marriage certificate on the floor, and Jennifer asleep in the bed, all complimented by the familiar tune, “Here Comes the Bride” in the background. It’s a great way of getting Aldo’s moment of realization across, as well as his panic at the entire situation.
I did have a couple of complaints with this film, however. Firstly, it would have been nice to see a brief montage of Aldo and Jennifer’s “wedding.” Vegas is chock-full of all manner of oddly-themed wedding chapels, it would have added a great element of humor to see a series of shots of the half-drunk couple being hitched by Elvis. It would also be good to include the instance in which the wedding snapshot is taken, so there can be a tie-in later on when Aldo spots the photograph the next morning.
(Warning! Spoilers ahead!)
Perhaps my biggest complaints would be with the film’s ending. In the movie, before flipping the coin, Aldo proposes that, despite the outcome, the two of them should still go out for a nice dinner. In the existing ending, he flips the coin and it comes up heads – stay married. Aldo tells Jennifer that he will return to his room to get ready, and he will be back for her in about twenty minutes. Needless to say, Aldo doesn’t return, and Jennifer is left alone and rejected.
In the original ending, the coin had come up tails – get the annulment. Then there was a shot of Jennifer adjusting Aldo’s tie – in preparation for their dinner together before ending the marriage. Then the camera slowly zooms out and the viewer can see a shot of a trash can, in which there is a wrapper for a double-tailed coin; in other words, Aldo pulled one over on Jennifer, just as she had done to him.
