Multi-Facial (1995)

Good concept, poorly executed.

Fantastic!

Awesome Movie

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Vin Diesel wrote and directed this short film, based on his experiences as a struggling actor. The film consists of Vin attending various auditions, changing his appearances, dialogue and line-delivery, constantly trying to "be somebody" in order to "impress" the casting directors. It's an interesting idea: "being somebody" in order to "impress somebody" so you can to "be somebody" and "impress somebodies".The film highlights how exploitative the movie business can be, how seductive its icons are, how these icons lure impressionable youths to Hollywood, how desperate actors become and how fickle the business of acting is.One wonders, however, if Vin simply made this film to showcase his range as an actor. The film consists of several audition sequences in which Vin adopts different accents, different styles and different personas (he even raps in one scene), mimicking Pacino, Stallone, Brando etc. Is Vin trying to show off? Is he trying to wow us with his range? Or is this all meant to be a bit comedic? If Vin is honestly trying to stun us with his acting, then he fails miserably. Or rather, because he fails, the film takes on the form of a really sad tragedy, Vin mourning his own desperation; his own, in a way, uselessness.7.9/10 – Worth one viewing..

This short was everything people told me it was going to be. I love Vin Diesel and anybody who loves him, and people who don't should see this. The people who love him should see the work that inspired speilberg (sp) to wrtite him into Saving Private Ryan and the people who think that he's a bad actor should see this just to eat there words. Oh, and just as an added little bonus, if you see this, you also get to see vin rap, :). All in all, a highly recomended movie. 10/10

I've watched Multifacial many times, and I am always pleased to still find acting moments that interest or amuse me in the film. Vin Diesel's physicality is arresting, pleasing and fluid. His voice is a marvelous instrument that covers a broad vocal range, while the deeper notes can hypnotize any unwary female.I've seen him in other films and continue to look for those moments that capture my attention and rivet me to the screen whenever he appears.Right now Mr. Diesel invests his energy in the world of Action Heros that he admired so much in his childhood. I am hoping he will soon outgrow the genre and return to more serious acting and to the portrayals of complicated characters like Mike in Multifacial, that I feel sure he can accomplish.

You know, before I got the chance to see "Multi-Facial," I knew of Vin Diesel only as the big Italian guy from "Saving Private Ryan" that got killed about 30 minutes into the movie--I was never too impressed. But after seeing this short, which Diesel wrote and directed, I was overcome with a new-found respect. This is simply one of the most touching, profound, and well-produced short films in the course of American film in the last 10 years or so. The acting is superb--Diesel goes above and WAY beyond the token ethnic he portrayed in the otherwise WASPish SPR. While watching this however, we get the feeling that this is more than just an entertaining story about a lost soul, searching for an identity (which others are more than willing to give), this is in fact a piece of Diesel himself, immortalized in film. I also watched some director's commentary afterwards and was amazed at the depth and intelligence possessed by this man. Do yourself a favor, and stay away from his shallower, mainstream work like SPR and the upcoming "Boiler Room," et al. If you watch this, you will be convinced of two things: 1) Vin Diesel will always have work in Hollywood, and 2) American short film is still alive.