Photo courtesy of The Big Shot-Caller .

The film follows Jamie; a loner who’s lacking in self-confidence yet seems mildly satisfied with his life as an accountant. Aside from his severe shyness Jamie must live with the fact that he was born with Nystagmus , a condition that causes his eyes to move rapidly back and forth. Many times people mistakenly think he’s a drug addict, which only adds to his lack of self-esteem. Jamie is played by Rhein’s real life brother, David Rhein, who does indeed suffer from Nystagmus.

Jamie eventually meets a girl whom he’s sure is the love of his life, will change his path and make him happy forever. But she ends up breaking his heart. He loses his job while pursuing the girlfriend who’s already gone away. As a result he plunges into a deep depression and contacts his sister Lianne whom he hasn’t seen in years. She lets him move in and encourages him in every aspect of his life, including reminding him that he’s always wanted to be a salsa dancer. He finally gets up the nerve to take some lessons. Going to classes and meeting people start to bolster Jamie’s confidence and he is able to help support his sister who has her own issues.

David Rhein (Jamie), Writer and Producer Marlene Rhein, and Cinematographer Palo Cascio.

Rhein’s project was financed by private investors and shot in New York City. She started to shoot the film on HD, but when Cinematographer Paolo Cascio came on board he was able to get a grant from Panavision for first time filmmakers. This made for some beautiful cinematography and crowded locations. When Rhein and Cascio fielded questions from the audience after the Sedona International Film Festival (SIFF) screening last week, Rhein laughingly talked about the camera, saying, “It was huge!” But they captured some very intimate shots showing the world through Jamie’s eyes.

The film was produced and edited by Christine Giorgio and has a New York flavor that caused one audience member to comment it made her homesick for the Big Apple. The dancing is fun to watch and includes several laughs such as when Jamie brings his girlfriend over to meet his father, and when he is trying to learn the Salsa steps. The dancing is good and it’s pretty unique to watch a middle class white guy who’s passionate about learning to dance the Salsa.

The Big Shot-Caller has a lot of heart and creates empathy for both Jamie and Lianne. Lianne’s philosophy that God is the “Big Shot-Caller” and everything happens for a reason is played out well in the film. The director doesn’t hit the audience over the head with “be sympathetic bats” but instead lets the viewer experience the lives of these two people in New York who are simply lonely and need to travel a path to find happiness with themselves.

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