WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
We are the products of where we come from. So much is determined by our upbringing and/or the circumstances associated with that phase in life. The impressions we’re left with as children can affect that much more the path we take when we’re grown up and trying to find our own way. For good or ill, we make every attempt to move forward. For one little girl (Lilly Manzano) and her mother (Stephanie Manzano), the shattered place they both call home will shape the future of an innocent life, setting in motion the events that will take this child into adulthood on a decidedly uneven journey. Her emotionally torn mother’s face tells a story in itself.
Now a grown woman, the same girl (Kitty Bailey) has found existence on the streets, clothed and healthy, but without a true place to call a home. Finding her way on the street, she attempts to seek solace with a boyfriend (Cole Thompson) whose seemingly loving yet suddenly cold and careless demeanor with her is both weakening, yet somehow oddly cathartic in both moments of happiness and times of anger or sadness. She dreams then, a dream of how life could be so different, filled with wealth, status, and a strong sense of who she is, an identity to absolutely call her own, and the warmth of a physical home. As the dream takes shape, then fades, a realization things could change emerges.
Next, my Mind:
Written, produced, and directed by Adam Jones, this 11+ minute short film very effectively takes the viewer on a surrealistic, visually diverse, and emotionally charged adventure within this life of a girl and the fantasy she creates in her mind of a better, more stable, and safe state of being. Utilizing an engaging mixture of standard filming techniques along with “found footage” stylings, black and white to color transitions, and silent film treatment with musical accompaniment, the narrative ebbs and flows with a simplicity that, for this reviewer, really belies the actual weight of the message contained within it. This unorthodox and somewhat eccentric choice in execution is honestly what makes this effort stand out a bit from other short film projects.
Actress Kitty Bailey very much captures you as the girl in her grown-up “life”, not just with straight-forward, raw, natural beauty, but with eyes especially that just permeate you and tell a story all on their own as we watch her navigate both the difficult reality she faces plus the perfection of the dream world she goes to and longs for. Without hearing any dialogue, Bailey’s facial expressions and body language speak to us instead. Likewise, Thompson emotes well in fine fashion as the initially doting then painfully harsh boyfriend this young girl clings to for companionship. Thompson’s infuses the character with that aura where we like him in one moment, then hate him the next. And for this story’s purposes, it fits quite well.
Add to this the potent reflection of the girl’s childhood days coming from a broken home and the mother who strives so desperately to hold things together being enacted by Stephanie and Lilly Manzano, plus an eclectic soundtrack, and the total package has been delivered. In total, “Fantasy Girl” is a nice piece of indie filmmaking that showcases one of the genre’s ongoing and best traits–people daring to dream.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
