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< Back Alex Morsanutto A Conversation with Operation: Cavity Writer/Director Alex Morsanutto Cup of Tea Critiques sits down with indie director Alex Morsanutto Chris Chaisson 2022-10-31 Reading time: 10 minutes Synopsis: A group of young kids team up to rob the dentist who has wrought havoc on their childhood. Cast: Jonathan P. O’Reilly as Douglas Maroney Scarlett Lewis as Lucy Howie Sheard as Kitkat Declan Foley as Timmy Neil Samuels as Dr. Caine Crew: Writer/Director: Alex Morsanutto Editor: Alexander Frasse Director of Photography: Sam Cutler-Kreutz Music: Sam Warfield Producers: Kara Bartek, Catalfamo Megan, Alex Morsanutto Special Makeup Effects: Jessie Roberts Alex Morsanutto wanted to make a short film about a relatable concept: childhood fear. Cue Operation: Cavity , a fun coming-of-age-meets-heist short film about four friends who plot to avenge the pain their dentist has inflicted on them. Cup of Tea Critiques sat down with Alex to talk about where he gets his ideas, his favorite aspect of directing, the purpose behind producing a short, and other aspects of his work. We began by talking about the themes in Operation: Cavity , including the hyperbolic nature of kids’ imaginations. “The film in general is inspired from my youth, and kind of like that idea of playfulness and adventure,” says Alex. “And, thinking crazy things are in play, when in reality, you're just a kid, and you don't really know what you're getting yourself into. But, all those intimate shows that we grew up on, Hey Arnold, Doug, Recess: School's Out is another great reference. All played into where I was drawing from for this sort of adventure.” Similar to other creators, Alex found inspiration in his own life experience, both past and present. After careful thought, he was able to fuse the style of movie that he wanted to make with that life experience. “I mean, to this day, I'm still nervous to go to the dentist. And I feel like for the past eight years, maybe I've had this idea of a film I wanted to do with the dentist. I just couldn't figure out how to make it into a film for the longest time. And, I kind of just started brainstorming, and then I wanted to make a heist movie, and I thought maybe I can mix these two genres together.” While the film as a story stands alone, Alex produced the short with a longer project in mind. Many filmmakers with a limited budget go this route, like Robert Rodriguez with The Customer is Always Right or Zack Snyder with Die Free . “I was hoping that this would be like a proof of concept for a TV series, where each episode would focus on these kids. And they get themselves into trouble. They need to get themselves out of it in a creative way. So, the next one could have been detention or some kind of devils of night adventure, around Halloween time, stuff like that. It's definitely something I'm gonna keep pushing once I get the opportunity to.” Alex’s goal is not uncommon among indie directors, who often have limited resources for making their films. Rather than produce a full-length feature, many young directors opt to use their budget and connections to make a short film that, similar to a portfolio or a writing sample, showcases the director’s abilities. “A short film is either like a calling card, or just something to display, your directing ability or writing ability, producing, whatever. And I was trying to get the most bang for my buck. I tried to develop a short film that I could adapt into something bigger, and really launch my career as a director in the narrative space. So, these things take a lot of time to make, as I said earlier, and trying to make every single at-bat count, as much as possible. If you're gonna spend three years making a short film, might as well make it something that you could hopefully adapt and launch your career moving forward.” Often, an indie director’s long-term goal is to parlay his or her concept into a more expansive project. Alex spoke on the logic behind using a short film not just as a display of his directing chops, but also as a proof of concept. “Proof of concept is great, because if you have a bigger idea, you could show a producer, or an agent, maybe your manager, ‘Hey, this is what I'm thinking of, something that I'd like to do as my next project. I already have this visual example of what it's going to be like. This is the proof of concept. All you need to do is get me the money and we're in business.’” Many filmmakers feed off of the passion and devotion to style that the most accomplished in the business give off. Alex spoke on how he enjoys directors who have had a similar career path to his own. “I always liked the directors that came from a commercial world, because I come from a commercial world. And I'm hoping that my career can somehow replicate theirs. Directors like Ridley Scott or David Fincher, Michael Bay, that'd be an awesome career, but, I also like Jeff Nichols. Jordan Peele. I really admired his stuff with Key and Peele . As a commercial director, I work in the comedic space. And the sketches that he did on that show are just amazing. His ability to pivot from comedy to horror is something I look to as if it's possible, we can make some movies after the stuff we've already made.” Moviegoers frequently think of directors as responsible for planning the look, angle, and length of every shot on screen, but an equally important task is coaching up the actors and managing people. Alex shared which aspect of directing he likes best. “Working with actors is one of my favorite parts of the job. I went to acting school after NYU. I did some time at [Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute] and then I did [Upright Citizens Brigade] in New York. And I really started to appreciate just the craft of acting and what goes on in an actor's head, scene by scene. And when they get the script, what are they thinking about? So as a director, it's like you're trying to pull that out from them.” Filmmakers get their starts in varied ways and often draw on their past experiences to solve problems. Some cross over from another field of entertainment, like former standup comedian Judd Apatow. Others find their way into directing from a completely different industry, such as former journalist Ava DuVernay. For Alex, directing commercials allowed him to get his feet wet and become comfortable taking charge. “It's kind of like anything in life. Directing commercials gives you an opportunity to get the repetition, to get in the habit of creating a shot list, creating a mood board, working with department heads, working with actors, trying to get specific shots, and working with new equipment and all that stuff. It's really just getting the reps in, like how an athlete works out so many hours a day and practices with their team. I feel like it's the same thing for an artist, you need to get those reps in, and get comfortable taking charge of the set, pivoting if something goes wrong, or changing the line of dialogue if it's not reading right, and stuff like that. Directing commercials has been so rewarding for me in that way.” Children ages 12 to 13 are at the center of Operation: Cavity . Many professionals in the film industry speak to the challenges of directing child actors, whether it be the limited hours they are available for shooting the film due to school, their typically shorter attention spans, or their lack of significant life experience to draw motivation from for playing their characters. Alex elaborated on the challenge of keeping the kids’ energy levels and spirits up, as well as some of the tactics he used on set to reinvigorate his adolescent actors. “Working with kids is particularly hard. Especially at that young age, when they memorize the lines, they get to the cadence where they're memorizing with their parents, or guardian, whatever. And they almost sound like robots. Even when it comes to line delivery. I went as far as creating these audio notes for them, sending them how I think they should read the lines to help them get into the pacing of things and the inflection, stuff like that. You really have to be clever with how you schedule your days so you get a good burst of energy…it's really tough to get them to keep moving. We tried donuts and cupcakes, and candy to try to keep them going. And it was fun, because the kids are feeding off each other too. So all you really need to do is have one of them buy in and then, they all were pumped. But it is, it's definitely a challenge.” It took Alex a solid two years to finish post-production, which consists of editing, color correction and the addition of music. Though the completion of the film itself gets much of the attention, the marketing and distribution can be the most arduous task. Many indie filmmakers have trouble getting eyeballs on their completed project and hear many “no’s” before something breaks their way. For Alex, it took almost a year before his short film was accepted to the Hollyshorts Film Festival in Hollywood, California. “It's such a weird dance,” Alex mused. “You spend all this time in post-production, trying to make everything right. And then, with a short film, and basically a feature film too, you want to get a good premiere. So you're submitting to all these top tier film festivals, you're getting a bunch of rejections, you're waiting a long period of time, because it's not like they're one after another. So we were going through that process. And we were basically at the end of the line when we got in with Hollyshorts, which was great, because it was an Oscar qualifier. That was almost nine months of submitting to film festivals to get a premiere somewhere big…It's such a weird process, because a lot of it is just waiting with this finished film. Hoping to get it in front of people who can help push your career one way or another.” Alex hopes to build upon the success of Operation: Cavity but is also pivoting to different projects to continue challenging himself. “If the opportunity comes up to adapt Operation: Cavity , I'd love to keep building out that world. Other than that, the thing I had my eyes set on right now is this Viking film that I'm going to shoot in Norway in 2023. Super indie, not a lot of money, but just something unique. And that's kind of grounded in the Norse mythology over there in Norway, so I'm excited for that. As I've gotten older, I've gravitated away from comedic movies to stuff that's more serious; horror, thriller, suspense, that type of stuff. So I'm hoping my next movie is along those genres.” You can follow Alex’s upcoming projects at silvermineproductions.com or follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ajmorsanutto or @silvermineproductions. 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The Neighbors’ Window puts a melodramatic spin on its genre < Back The Neighbors’ Window puts a melodramatic spin on its genre Marshall Curry Productions LLC, 2019 21 minutes Director/Writer: Marshall Curry / Diane Weipert and Marshall Curry Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock The Neighbors' Window Home Inside (IAPD4ZHMI2KGRI5V) 00:00 / 03:29 Chamomile Family dramas Dandelion Movies/shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2023-06-07 Many “peeping tom” movies fall into the suspense/thriller genre. The voyeuristic protagonist in question either witnesses a crime ( Rear Window, Disturbia ) or becomes obsessed enough to commit a crime themselves ( One Hour Photo ). On occasion, a film opts for the dramatic angle, providing a moral beyond “mind your dang business.” Such is the case in the Oscar-winning short film The Neighbor’s Window . Marshall Curry’s award-winning short stars Alli (Maria Dizzia, Funny Pages ) and Jacob (Greg Keller, Jane Wants a Boyfriend ), a middle-aged married couple with kids, who become entranced by the lives of a twenty-something couple in the curtainless apartment building directly across from them. Observing their celebratory nature, including their sex life, Alli and Jacob clearly become envious of the couple’s youthful ways. Their jealousy leads to increased stress and arguing over matters such as Alli feeling that Jacob does not help out enough with parental duties. One day, Alli notices a shift in the vibe between the young couple they have been observing. Their life appears much more somber, making Alli reconsider her previous assumptions about their joy and bliss. At the outset of this Oscar-winning short, it seems that we are headed for a standard “peeping tom” story arc, where someone holed up in their apartment passes the time by spying on others only to witness something heinous. After a humorous exchange between Alli and Jacob in the opening scene, the story seems pointed in the direction of the couple shaking up their routine by blasting music or smoking pot. However, the short film bypasses any such inciting incidents and heads in a completely different direction. Instead, the young couple unknowingly burrow their way into Alli and Jacob’s arguments, as the two now gauge their own happiness relative to complete strangers. Despite having healthy children and a spacious, upscale apartment, the two long for the youth and spontaneity their counterparts still have. The middle of the short, in a strange way, feels like the aftermath of a double date where one couple had way better chemistry than the other. As has been said many times, comparison is the thief of joy. Once the young couple experiences their dramatic shift, Alli stops viewing them as a fantasy of what her life and relationship should be. She instead views them as the three-dimensional beings that they are. Regardless of how anyone’s life looks at a glance, their emotional states ebb and flow, and any unexpected news can cause a sudden change. Through watching her neighbors, Alli realizes the fragility of happiness, and it hits her like a ton of bricks. When you’re stuck in the doldrums, it can be tough to count your blessings. Alli not only gets a reminder of all the good in her life but also how quickly things can take a major turn. The Neighbors’ Window provides less of a high-flying, escapist plot that we see in other spy/peeping tom stories and instead delivers an important reminder about what not to take for granted. Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Product Manager Apply Now San Francisco, CA, USA Job Type Full Time Workspace On-Site About the Role This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Requirements This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. About the Company This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Apply Now

< Back Mr. Church sheds a light on what it means to be ‘family’ Cinelou Films, 2016 104 minutes Director/Writer: Bruce Beresford / Susan McMartin Reading Time: 7 minutes Mr. Church Lucky Me (TMVRAXX2NLYNIIVD) 00:00 / 07:45 📷 : Licensed from Adobe Stock Jasmine: Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Sage: Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Reba Chaisson 2021-07-25 Sometimes Hollywood can shoot itself in the foot with genre categories. Perhaps because this film stars Eddie Murphy, Mr. Church is classified partly as a comedy despite being a purely dramatic story based on the writer’s own life, growing up in sunny Los Angeles. Set in the 1970s, the film depicts what was to be a short-lived working arrangement between a chef and McMartin’s family that blossomed into a long-term and meaningful relationship. Mr. Church is a little-known movie starring Eddie Murphy as the title character, in which he plays the reserved, personal chef of a young girl named, Charlie, played by Brit Robertson ( Under the Dome , Big Sky ) and her mother, Marie, played by Natascha McElhone ( Designated Survivor , Ronin ). Mr. Church reads literature, and he cooks with olive oil, cumin and arrowroot while enjoying the sounds of big band jazz music on the turntable. In addition to the 1970s backdrop of bus shelters, vintage public transportation, and the clothing of the day, Marie’s modest two-bedroom apartment is bathed in soft natural lighting that occasionally shines brightly through the windows, contrasting with the dark wood entryways and doors. This gives a cozy and simple family feel to the home that makes it inviting, almost as if Mr. Church was being welcomed into the space as a member of the family. Boundaries matter to Mr. Church though. While he makes subtle efforts at the outset to endear himself to the little girl who begrudgingly lets him cook for her and her mother, he makes it clear that his personal life is off-limits as her curiosity increases about who he is and where he goes when he is elsewhere. In response to her probes, he impatiently shouts, “You have me from morning to night. And what I do when I leave here is my time.” Interestingly, this adds intrigue to this aspect of the story and keeps the audience wondering as well: just who is Mr. Church? Where does he go and what does he do when he is not cooking for the family? These boundaries are typical of family boundaries. Indeed, the film’s feel and subject matter bring to mind another little-known work called, Under One Roof . Airing in 1995, the short-lived, weekly television series starred James Earl Jones, Vanessa Bell Calloway, and Joe Morton, in a story about three generations living under one roof in their two-story Seattle apartment building. The show contained tough conversations, gentle moments, and even heart-to-heart talks with a teenage foster son, Marcus, played by the late Merlin Santana, who struggled to adjust to being a part of the loving family of seven. It featured family meals together where kids wanted to sit next to their favorite people. It included a teenage daughter, coincidentally named “Charlie,” who had to be put in her place on occasion, as her mom reprimanded, “Don’t you walk away from me while I’m talking to you or you’ll be really buggin’.” And finally a husband insisting that his wife not feel guilty for going back to school and completing her degree: “Doing something for yourself doesn’t mean that you’re being selfish.” Not just limited to shared genes, a family’s binding elements include boundaries, checks, and balances. As with Mr. Church, Marcus is not related by blood in Under One Roof , but his range of interactions with family members signals yet one more connection to what becomes a long-held family bond. While unrealistic that a Black chef in a predominantly White, lower middle-class neighborhood would not have encountered some microaggressions while riding the bus or shopping for groceries, I was pleased by the absence of such scenes because of its bliss. Apparently, the filmmakers saw little need to interject language and sentiments of race into the film, likely because the exchanges would have detracted from the purity of the story itself. It begs the question, though, if a story should be presented with complete and accurate historical context, or if filmmakers have tacit permission to strip away extraneous but ugly information that can add noise to the film and disrupt its themes. The approach depends on what the filmmakers want to convey. Mr. Church is a story about family rather than history, revolution, or social transformation. Does the fact that the Black Power Movement and news around the Patty Hearst kidnapping are also occurring in California at the time mean that these events should be weaved into the film to keep the story authentic? Even though this would extinguish my bliss, I would argue that not doing so to some extent is problematic given the tumult of the period and the shared location—even if the scenes were limited to a passing television news report or the headline of a local paper lying around on a table. This would be sufficient to get a sense of the story’s context and provide some insight into Mr. Church’s thoughts and experiences. With these additional images, Mr. Church would not just be a man the audience admires because of what it sees, but he could also be a man the audience understands because of some of the experiences he lives and that continue to shape him. This is the depth missing from the depiction of Mr. Church that could have been filled not necessarily with lines, but with context. Perhaps though, containing the film’s scope to the relationship among the characters is fair. But even this falls a bit short. The story is heavily narrated by Charlie, who offers candid observations about Mr. Church: “I never once saw Mr. Church use a measuring tool, just his hand, fork and knife.” She even reveals resentments of her mother: “[Mr. Church and I] each had our duties. … My one and only job was to bathe Momma–and I hated it.” However, Charlie reveals very little about her social life. When she goes off to college and returns home for a break, the audience learns very little about her time on campus, which was the site of a great deal of social activism. What was life on campus like for her? Surely Mr. Church’s interest in jazz suggested a strong interest in Black culture. How can Charlie’s campus experiences not be shared with the person close to her, and whose life was likely affected by the social issues of the day? The absence of conversation creates a bit of a chasm in the story and disrupts much of its continuity–though, to be fair, not so much that it detracts from the story about the ties that bind. At a point in the film, Charlie says about Mr. Church, “People act strange around death. There are those who talk about everything but the person who died. There are those who only talk about the person who died. … And then there are those who say nothing at all–because they don’t have to.” Maybe this is the message the filmmakers seek to convey. While political and social climates typically serve as backdrops for film, stories such as this one about family are, or at least can be at times, insular. Respecting boundaries, saying nothing or very little at all, can convey volumes about what people mean to one another. Hmmm, sounds like family bonding. 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< Back Bob Marley: One Love presents the look and sound of sincerity Paramount Pictures, 2024 104 minutes Director/Writer: Reinaldo Marcus Green / Terence Winter, Frank E. Flowers, Zach Baylin, and Reinaldo Marcus Green Reading Time: 6 minutes Bob Marley: One Love Mother Earth (UGMU6CW0MDCL4R3L) 00:00 / 06:59 📷 : Used with Permission, Dustin Knotek https://www.instagram.com/dustinknotek/ https://www.behance.net/dknotek, https://dknotek.com/ Jasmine: Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Sage: Movies and TV shows with low-key characters Reba Chaisson 2024-02-17 We are so primed to the lies and pretentiousness of political and cultural leaders and even members of the judiciary that we have a knee-jerk reaction to sincerity. Sincerity is questioned in part because of our limited exposure to cultures outside of the Western mainstream, where perspectives, attitudes, and approaches to life and living are different from our own. This film about the life of Bob Marley stands a chance at challenging our cynicism about the possibility that sincerity can be real. Bob Marley: One Love is about the musician’s constant and incessant search for ways to fulfill the purpose he believes Jah (God) has for him. Set in Jamaica and the UK, the film begins with the adult Marley, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir ( Barbie , King Arthur: Legend of the Sword ), arranging a concert to bring peace to his country, which is divided by factions warring for power. The divisions are a result of Jamaica’s recent independence from Britain and the familiar vacuum that colonial powers create when they leave territories in political and economic ruins. Marley expects his melodies of love and unity to transcend the actions of his fellow Jamaicans, transform their thinking, and motivate them to put down their guns – until he is targeted by rebels who invade his home and shoot him. Such trauma would lead many people to question their faith and the understanding of their purpose. Marley, instead, questions his countrymen. In an exchange with his long-time mentor, Marley expresses his incredulity about the incident, stating, “I would have never believed they would try to kill me!” Family Man Barrett, his mentor played by Aston Barrett Jr., passionately responds, “The question is not why they tried to kill you. It’s why they did not succeed.” Marley doesn’t falter in his purpose after the trauma, instead striving to strengthen his music and move people to change in these new post-colonial times. For now, the sound is imperfect. The drums are not quite right. Even the album cover isn’t on point. Ever more focused, he moves as if guided by something deeply spiritual and he refuses to deviate from its instruction. Bob Marley: One Love will likely be criticized as a display of reggae music rather than a story about the man’s life. He draws thousands to his riveting concerts all over Europe and sings sweet quiet songs with soft melodies and lyrics about love. I agree that the film is heavily infused with Marley’s music and performances. However, it also gives us context and perspective for Marley’s life with glimpses into his childhood and the painful void left by a father who shunned him. I would also argue that the movie portrays Marley as an imperfect man who cares deeply for his wife Rita, played by Lashana Lynch ( No Time to Die , Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical ), and has a special relationship with his son, Ziggy. And while a lot of bands disband because of divisiveness or changing interests, Marley’s band remains intact and steadfast, even after relocating to Britain for a time. So, understanding this film as it regards Marley’s life beyond his music requires hearing what is unspoken and seeing what is not front and center. A fair criticism of the movie is the lack of space given to other reggae artists. People younger than 40 are likely unfamiliar with Bob Marley since he passed away in 1981 and reggae is not a part of mainstream music in the West. So, Marley and his music not only predate rap, pop, and alt rock, it stems from a part of the globe that few of us think to visit when we vacation – Jamaica. In addition, Western media utters little about the goings on in this former British territory. The movie compounds this by zeroing in only on Marley’s world. In my humble opinion, this is a missed opportunity for the film given the captive mainstream audience. It was a chance to expose us to the range of this genre, not only its sound during Marley’s era but also through to its present beats. Who are the artists? What is their message? How has the genre changed over the years and how has it influenced other music? Why don’t we hear it on the radio stations that tend to keep only a dozen songs in their playlist despite music like reggae that is pop and rock adjacent? Introducing reggae artists in the film could have gone a long way in broadening viewers’ minds and expanding their tastes into this segment of the music industry. Small Axe , a series of five shorts by British filmmaker Steve McQueen, depicts the harassment experienced by people from the West Indies between the late 1960s and early 1980s in Britain. We see an example of this in Bob Marley: One Love when Marley and his friends are pushed around by the police, searched and thrown in jail for standing around a statue at night and talking. The fact-based Small Axe series suggests that Marley and his friends endured much more physical harassment than was shown. The scenes are likely crafted in this manner to keep the movie positive and avoid detracting from the emphasis on Marley and his message of love. This is not an unusual tactic in film. Indeed, Mr. Church did something similar where it omitted historical context so as not to distract from the story’s focus on the main character. As I said then, it does beg the question on whether a story should be presented with complete and accurate historical context, or if filmmakers have tacit permission to strip away extraneous but ugly information that can add noise to the film and disrupt its themes. The approach depends on what the filmmakers want to convey. Marley’s love and respect for people was so genuine that he nearly takes the head off his manager for bringing corruption into his space. In an interview, he stated that his kind of rich could not be measured in money. His kind of rich was love, safety, and happiness for all people, and this strand ran throughout his life and music. What do you do with such a unicorn? How do you wrap your arms around someone who is such an oddity? Whether we realize it or not, we miss Marley. It is sad that we did not have the pleasure of being wrapped in his ever-evolving music for a longer period of time. We could sure use a unicorn today. Yeahh maan! Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Decision to Leave turns romance tropes on their heads Moho Film, 2022 139 minutes Director/Writer: Park Chan-wook / Park Chan-wook and Chung Seo-kyung Reading Time: 4 minutes Decision to Leave Haunted Romance (9OGOZYCCB7PWGYD3) 00:00 / 05:02 📷 : Used with permission, CMB Graphic Design https://www.instagram.com/cmbgraphicdesign/ https://www.facebook.com/cmbgraphicdesign/ https://www.cmbgraphicdesign.com/ Matcha Mysteries or whodunnits Saffron Movies and TV shows with great visual effects Chris Chaisson 2022-12-13 Stories of romance, regardless of book, movie or series, often tug at the heart strings with melodramatic actions that are not actually relatable (and in some cases, ill-advised). While audience members may have experienced passionate flings, they likely have never hung from a Ferris wheel or laid down in the middle of the road to win someone’s heart (see The Notebook ). Grand romantic gestures like these appear and reappear in movies for a reason; they work when it comes to engaging the audience. Watching lovers be rational is considerably more boring than seeing them run back on to a sinking ship, draw each other naked or hold up a blaring boombox outside their bedroom windows. Nonetheless, it can be refreshing to experience a romantic narrative that steers clear of such over-the-top, unhinged expression. Despite incorporating surreal elements and a shocking conclusion, Park Chan-wook ( Oldboy ) pulls off such a feat in his newest work, Decision to Leave . Set in metropolitan South Korea, Decision to Leave tells a story of forbidden love surrounding Jang Hae-joon (Park Hae-il), an accomplished investigator assigned to solve the murder of a rock climber. The chief suspect is the victim’s widow, Song Seo-rae (Tang Wei), a caretaker who emigrated from China. Despite his marriage and Song’s seemingly obvious guilt in the murder, Jang becomes deeply infatuated with her. His conflict of interest heightens as the evidence against her continues to mount, negatively affecting his decision-making. Jang’s brilliance and professionalism as a detective is laid bare in the early stages of the film, highlighting how much his desire for Song compromises his integrity. He picks up numerous clues from the crime scene at the beginning and excels at handling adjacent cases. Not only does he chase down and apprehend a suspect from another case, he effectively cross-examines the man at the police station. However, as the plot progresses with his main case, he overlooks damning evidence, both concrete and circumstantial, pointing at Song’s culpability. His dishonesty to his wife surrounding the chief suspect adds to his list of bad decisions, as he eventually struggles to keep up with his own lies. Park Chan-wook, who won Best Director at Cannes Film Festival for this romantic thriller, makes many interesting stylistic choices throughout the movie. For instance, he depicts Jang as being in close proximity with Song several times when he is either on the phone with her or staking her out from a distance. Chan-wook also incorporates a language barrier between the two leads into the story, which they must overcome in order to have a stronger connection. When he first interrogates her, Jang and Song must use a translator app, as Song’s Korean is not the strongest. This barrier evolves into Jang trying desperately to learn her native tongue. Whereas most romantic stories involve a night of passion or montage of tactile experiences, our two leads in Decision to Leave have no physical relationship for much of the movie, placing all the emphasis on their emotions. Chan-wook does a superb job of using the supporting characters to intensify the romance between Jang and Song. Jang’s partner, Soo-wan (Go Kyung-Pyo) serves as the comedic relief by cracking jokes and struggling with the physical duties of law enforcement. During several scenes, Jang either carries Soo-wan along or leaves him behind when pursuing suspects and evidence. Jang’s wife, Jeong-ahn (Lee Jung-hyun) has a demanding career of her own and thus rarely spends time with Jang. She speaks very practically to him about their relationship, quoting statistics about behaviors they should adapt in order to live longer and healthier. The absence of romance between them, coupled with the comedic presence of Soo-wan, contrast sharply with the deep longing between Jang and Song. Billed as a romantic thriller, Decision to Leave delivers much more on the side of romance than thriller. Even in doing so, creative story and shot choices convey intimacy without absurdity. Rather than engaging in exaggerated gags that convey obsession instead of love, Jang’s desire comes through in very relatable ways, mainly poor decision-making. While this is not to talk down the more theatrical approach to romantic storytelling, Decision to Leave may provide you a breath of fresh air from the many Romeo and Juliet -styled yarns that line our DVD library shelves. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!