Written and directed by Angel Connell, this nearly eight-minute short film is a deceptively simple film consistent with Connell's history of thought provoking, layered cinema.

A brief yet tense telephone conversation between the politically connected Tom (Mark Grant) and a lowlife thug (Eric Scheiner) over Tom's bisexual and free-spirited wife Daisy (Jennifer McCartney), her lover Lolita (Christy Scott Cashman) and the mysterious head of Tom's security (Angel Connell) results in a series of intertwined actions and, ultimately, a murder. This causes Tom and Daisy to consider the crime and its impact on their marriage and, finally, the viewer is left to realize that unseen forces were at play that allowed the murder to happen and may very well continue to exert their influence.

Sound like a lot?

It is...Perhaps, too much.

While it seems as if very little is going on within this noirish short film, Connell again adds layer upon layer as the words spoken even in voice-over unquestionably have significant meaning and, thus, this is the type of film that commands that you pay attention to it so that literally not a single word is missed.

Filmed on location in the basement of Connell's parents' home over the course of a weekend, Beneath the Veneer of a Murder benefits greatly from the ensemble casts's chemistry courtesy of having worked together on previous Connell projects and being clearly in line with Connell's thought processes and artistic vision.  Christy Scott Cashman and Eric Scheiner especially shine, Cashman a seemingly oblivious and ill-fated Lolita while Scheiner exudes a faux confidence that could very well be his ultimate undoing.

The vocal work is less convincing, at times coming off like a 70's action thriller. Admittedly, I've never cared for 70's action thrillers.

Perry Iannone's original score complements the film's dialogue quite nicely, while D.P. Matthew Wagenknecht lenses the film with a sort of faded look fitting well with its noirish touches and, I'd dare say, even a hint of good ole' fashioned 70's porn.

I swear that's a compliment.

While Beneath the Veneer of a Murder could use at least a couple more minutes to further develop its complex layers, the film is an intelligent and intriguing work from Angel Connell, a filmmaker who continues to display a unique artistic sensibility that stays with you long after the film has ended.