The drama SOCKS AND CAKES, written and directed with aplomb by Antonio Padovan, is an engaging character study about the petty jealousies and unhappiness all of us face on the deep, dark road to love and understanding.Timothy J. Cox leads a stellar cast as Harry, a rumpled literature professor, still in love with his ex-wife Amanda (Kirsty Meares), now married to the suave, but not so smooth Richard (Jeff Moffitt).Harry is a guest at a dinner party hosted by Amanda and Richard in their Greenwich Village apartment. Other guests at the party include the ultra cocky David (Ben Prayz) and his charming French girlfriend Sophie (Alex Vincent). The tag line for the film is ''all will be revealed'' and I will leave it at that, as I don't wish to give too much away, but I way say the the tag line does not lie.Padovan's script shows us the angst, the tears and insecurities that come with relationships, but he also shows us the fear and turmoil that often comes with living within one's own skin. The films' focus is mostly on Harry and Amanda; his loss of the only woman who may have truly loved him and her, the loss of her second marriage.The results are heartbreaking and heartwarming and credit goes to Padovan's outstanding script and to the fantastic performances of Timothy J. Cox and Kirsty Meares, each showing us individuals filled with primal doubts about their own existence.

Great acting draws me in and if that's what you fancy, then I suggest you check out the dramatic short SOCKS AND CAKES, from Antonio Padovan. The film stars Jeff Moffitt as Richard, a successful architect who is hosting a dinner party with his film director wife Amanda (Kirsty Meares) at their Manhattan apartment. It's going to be a small affair...just them and a couple of close friends, including Harry (Timothy J. Cox), Richard's best friend and Amanda's ex-husband. A professor of French literature, Harry's down on life at the moment, wondering where it's all gone, the joy, the fun, the purpose. He spends the bulk of his time checking out real estate properties he never intends to buy and trying unsuccessfully to date his own students. Writers have writers block; Harry has life block. Right now, he's not letting anything or anyone in. That is, except Amanda. We discover that Harry still has feelings for Amanda, who is having problems of her own, namely that she thinks...knows...that her marriage is falling apart.Enter the other guests, David (Ben Prayz) and his girlfriend Sophie (Alex Vincent). Harry detests David, as he suspects that he and Amanda were intimate at one time. Taken aback by Sophie's beauty, he wonders how and why she's with a schmuck like David. Almost immediately, Richard is also quite taken aback by Sophy and his flirtations begin. It's one of those parties. Antonio Padovan's film is extremely well made, but it is the acting that saves the day. Alex Vincent is simply luminous as the sexy and free spirited Sophie, while Ben Prayz charms in his performance as the egocentric David. Jeff Moffitt moves swiftly as Richard, but the stand outs from the cast are Kirsty Meares, who is exceptional in her work as the emotionally fragile Amanda and Timothy J. Cox, pitch perfect in his moving turn as a broken shell of a man looking to find his way back into the light. Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful!

The short film SOCKS AND CAKES shows a glimpse into the lives of five people who get together for a dinner party in Lower Manhattan. The party turns out to be a not so pleasant affair though, with each character confronting some inner demons, as well as downing large amounts of red wine. Written and directed by Antonio Padovan, the film looks nice and moves at a swift pace and does feature some nice performances, especially from Timothy J. Cox, a fine turn as a boozy literature professor, but overall, the script felt too theatrical to me, better suited to a black box theater in the West Village.

Antonio Padovan's well acted, but bafflingly titled dramedy SOCKS AND CAKES tells the tale of five New Yorkers trying to piece together their broken lives over a dinner party. The film is exquisitely shot and edited, but the poor title may affect the films' chances at any future consideration in festivals. To this viewer, the title SOCKS AND CAKES conjures up an image of a children's story with lollipops and cotton candy, which director Padovan's film certainly is not. On a very positive note, the film is extremely well acted by a solid cast, including Timothy J. Cox's stellar performance as an embittered and lonely college professor looking to find some meaning in his life. Equally impressive is Kirsty Meares' fine turn as Cox's ex-wife, a woman coming to grips with the loss of yet another marriage.Padovan and his director of photography Alessandro Penazzi are to be commended for their impressive work, but the title really baffles me.