A Sense of Entitlement
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A Sense Of Entitlement is the first short film by Mark L. Feinsod, a New York City-based director noted for his sophisticated, urbane movies detailing life amongst aspiring young artists. The movie tells the elliptical story of two sisters, Caroline and Jessica, after their father calls Jessica and informs her that he will no longer finance their expensive New York lifestyle. Each sister reacts in different ways: Jessica must figure out how to continue her art studies and whether to move to France with her boyfriend Albert, while Caroline prostitutes herself to two arrogant investment bankers. When the girls' father, Mr. Blaine, arrives in town accompanied by his bodyguard / assistant Benton, tragedy ensues when Albert, who had come to Jessica's apartment to surprise her, is accidentally shot when he is mistaken for somebody who has been sending death threats to Mr. Blaine.
Shot in 1999 and completed in 2000, the movie was shot on Super-16mm film and blown up to 35mm. It functions primarily as an allegory for the economic boom of that decade and, in particular, the hedonism that overtook New York City at that time. Emblems of wealth abound in the movie: Jessica's enormous Manhattan apartment, Caroline's former career as a model, the two investment bankers that Caroline engages in a menage-a-trois with, and so on. The movie is elliptical in its telling, and various key elements are never explained: it is never revealed how or why Mr. Blaine lost his money and has decided to stop supporting his daughters; who is trying to kill Mr. Blaine; who the four elderly men in the alley are who chase Caroline after she leaves the bankers; and whether Albert lives or dies.
After A Sense of Entitlement was selected to screen theatrically before the feature Cupid's Mistake in New York City in 2001, it was reviewed in the New York Times by Dave Kehr. This practice, unusual for a short, has paved the way for it to be shown around the world.
A Sense of Entitlement stars Rike Scholle as Caroline, Nicole Severine as Jessica, David Kampman as Mr. Blaine, and Stanislas Verspyck as Albert. It was written and directed by Mark L. Feinsod.
