Not My Cup of Tea Film Poster. The film recently premiered at the Palme d'Or. Photo courtesy of MySpace.

"Not My Cup of Tea" is Fun, Quirky

By: Anna Altheide

Posted: 4/28/08

Not My Cup of Tea, a film by College of the Desert film student Arslane Marabet, is an amusing and quirky film with memorable moments and performances. However, viewers may need a second viewing to catch the subtle details and overall meaning.

Cup of Tea opens with a three-minute long sequence of scenes reminiscent of a slasher film, featuring actress Kayla Henderson and actor/director Marabet. What transpires over the next 15 minutes is a collection of short scenes featuring, among many other actors, Jeff Soulliere, Desiree Clarke, Bri-an Tran, and Diana Ramirez, all revolving around a tea theme. Some of the characters want tea to a nearly zen level while others would rather party or settle for coffee.

Anglophiles will enjoy the subtle Britishisms in the script and performances, particularly from Soulliere, who dons a convincing British accent throughout the film. Soulliere plays a server at "Bad Ass Coffee", the central setting of Cup of Tea. Soulliere is an extremely watchable actor with brilliant expressions and a memorable presence, despite little dialogue.

Clarke, Tran, and Ramirez are additional standouts for their natural, everyday performances and gift for subtle humor. They all have careers ahead of them in the acting field. Clarke dominates each scene she is in with confidence and likability, while Ramirez feeds off of Tran's hysterical line readings with believability and dry wit.

In one scene, Ramirez and Tran are at "Bad Ass Coffee" on what is assumed to be a blind or first date. Kudos to Marabet for highlighting Ramirez's golden moments of discomfort while listening Tran's, shall we say, problems.

Marabet frames his scenes well and has a bright future ahead of him as a film maker. However, several problems arose because of the film's limited budget. The exterior shots were slightly washed out, and when the film lacked a background music track, the sound was "airy" in quality. Given the fact that it was a student effort, that can be forgiven and does not take away from the general viewing experience too greatly.

On many different levels, the film is very likeable and a strong effort. Every actor showcased in Cup of Tea has time in the spotlight to show off their strengths. However, viewers may find their first viewing to lack syncopation. Most viewers hope to find a fusion by the end of the film to tie collaborative scenes together. While it achieves that on a slight level, it could have been bolder or one-scene longer to make it more clear.

Still, don't be put off from seeing Not My Cup of Tea if you have the opportunity. It was a joy to see many of the local spots most of us go to on a regular basis being put on film. Plus, the film is full of great performances from aspiring actors we may see on a bigger screen some day.

Grade: B+