WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
How many times have you said or heard it–“it’s all a matter of perspective”? Yet, even if we tire of what could be conveyed as such a cliched answer when encountering particularly volatile and oft disputed subject matters or circumstances where opinions will greatly vary, it really shouldn’t take away from the validity of said question, at least mostly. But, though in the arena of social media’s ability to transmit any given situation across the globe, the court of public outlook becomes a MUCH larger and more tedious adversary more often than a revealer of reality. On an Israeli bus, a soldier (Joy Rieger) is traveling with her partner (Carmel Bin), just looking forward to some needed R&R. But, when a man (Carlos Gharzuzi) boards the vehicle and elicits the soldier’s suspicions, how the ensuing moments that follow unfold will not only attempt to prove her right or wrong, but put her in the eye of the entire world.
Next, my Mind:
Didn’t Imagine Dragons say it best during the chorus of their hit song “Radioactive”–“welcome to the new age”? Watching how the world develops for good and/or ill has always been a reality we face, but how adeptly and relevantly this 9-minute Oscar qualifying short film from writer/director Neer Shelter along with producers Kristen Hodges and Ran Pasternak chooses to address such portraits of change is one that offers far more relatability than we might wish to admit. Based on true events, we’re witnessing the ongoing actuality of social media’s hold on our existence, potentially misguided perceptions, the weight of judgment, and the jarring validity of learned intuition through hard experience illustrated in a manner that more than cements the narrative’s intent and messages firmly in one’s mind while eliciting necessary contemplation about what precisely we choose to believe vs. what is nothing more than supposition or even stereotype-based prejudice and distrust.
Acutely viewed through the eyes of a soldier on leave from her duties who’s only goal is to treasure time with her beloved partner, the journey they take on an Israeli bus to reach their destination turns decidedly intense, manifesting a showdown of sorts that will not only test whether one soldier’s apprehensions about a newly arrived passenger are worth BEING concerned about or not, all while having the “court” of public opinion on hand thanks to everyone ELSE in the vehicle thanks to the ever-present “watchers” that are cell phones and social media posting. This is a narrative that almost feels like “Black Mirror” but on a totally different wavelength in its depiction of just how much we as humanity rely and utilize the technology at hand to broadcast our own “truths” much less situations we’re privy to in a way that, yes, can fuel awareness, but not always for the betterment of everyone or even ANYONE, depending on the context involved.
The film does such an excellent job of creating this atmosphere of tangible trepidation, doubt, curiosity, hesitation, belief, questioning, and inequity while finding its foundational bearing on what is most evident and/or conspicuous in it all–real comprehension and recognition vs. complete misconception or misinterpretation of intent. As the events unfold, that aforementioned air of utter tension that arises is so fantastically executed, keeping you as the viewer on edge and literally, at least it was this way for me, making you think and re-think about what IS or is NOT about to occur. To make the thematic explorations all the MORE keenly profound, the film’s finale is a stroke of absolute observational-centric brilliance whose impact reverberates within you in not only the conclusion of the cornerstone premise delivered, but then extends to a decisively gut-wrenching revelation which gets left to conjecture! Mind blown, emotions spent, and imagine running wild! Magnificent!
Rieger is a beautifully poised amalgamation of steadfast, resolute confidence, undeniable wit and charm, and purposeful fervency through her role here as the soldier, a woman who clearly knows her way around a battlefield yet has longed to just spend time away from conflict with her partner in order that she might have some highly needed times of joy and love. However, once she has boarded the bus they’re taking, she’s given pause upon the arrival of a particular passenger, stirring her combat instincts to the extent of taking action which will prove whether she had genuine reason for worry or not, even as she becomes the involuntary subject of every other passenger’s social media broadcasting of the incident–and the scrutiny that arrives with it. Reiger so deftly embodies the sheer urgency and strain of the circumstances her character is in, and it only solidifies the believability, especially given the events being portrayed are based on a real occurrence.
Likewise, Gharzuzi exudes a calm, collected, yet unequivocally present air of palpable menace (whether well-founded or not to be determined!) though his portrayal of the man who boards the bus and becomes an initially unwitting target of a soldier’s consideration and a host of other people’s analysis, effectively including the world itself when the situation turns unexpectedly sideways for him. Compliance paired with strikingly quiet but wholly visible admonishment in mind towards his would-be “accuser”, the man’s accompanying body language and facial expressions speak volumes to the possibility of wrongly placed opinion or the burden of having been revealed, and this is a total credit to Gharzuzi’s acting prowess to instill within us as the viewer both a certainty AND reluctance as to the nature of his character and to what end events will culminate in. A superb performance in subtly and understatement.
Bin is also a force to be reckoned with here, one that is bubbly, carefree, and full of the vim and vigor one would expect of a woman not only happy to be reunited with her military-based partner, but also that playfully mischievous soul who just wants to have fun. Her attitude more than impacts the love of her life, but it is a demeanor that quickly alters when her partner begins to become outwardly skeptical of a recently boarded man who has garnered suspicion. I always enjoy watching actors be able to bounce back and forth realistically between extremes in emotional states of being, and I felt Bin navigates the peaceful then stormy seas of the events with ease and passion befitting the character. So, in total, “Perspectives” conveys a deeply cautionary and thoroughly pertinent, convincing, and real world-based narrative which should leave an impression on us in its reminder of just how necessary it is in this contemporary age to BE aware, willing to ascertain things, apply SOUND decision-making, and know when to use what we have to best advantage and not for the sake of causing undue alarm vs. reasonable warning of what could be around us.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
