WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
Forever. A concept as old as time itself, as time is usually what the word associates with. But there are many ideas, many ways, many notions that can be tied to this term–friendship, the bonds of parent to child, and one of the most powerful–love. It is the commitment of soulmates everywhere, that the love shared between them will last, that it will endure, that it will surpass all else and move onward even into eternity. And it is the beauty of this depth of love that is shared by a wife (Aurelie Meriel) and husband (Cameron McHarg). Yet in the now, something has changed. Something has come between them, shattering their bond, changing their lives.
The wife watches as her husband seems to now ignore her, even as she is there in every moment for him. She watches him sleeping, a silent guardian, a loving angel. He slowly stirs and arises from the bed, his demeanor and dismissive, emotionless face continues to signal the loss of his adoration of her. As she silently takes in the harsh reality of love grown cold, the images in flashback tell the story of love’s birth, its growth, its blossoming into the kind of playfulness and connection they have shared over years together, even him protecting her from a badboy (Julien Ratel). He leaves the home, she follows to a cemetery where he kneels at a grave marker.
And as she watches him there, the heart of their love for each other is shown, changing them both–forever.
Next, my Mind:
French director Yann Danh, whose 2012 short, “At All Costs” was screened and reviewed here, has completely outdone himself with this 6-minute gem of a film. Emotionally potent, dramatically full, and filled with beautifully simple yet lush imagery, “Always” stands now as another illuminating example of just how much narrative and depth can be gained in less than 10 minutes. The gorgeous soundtrack from Anthony D’Amario stands as the only sounds we hear, with the minor exception of laughter and the ocean at key moments during flashbacks, and it is integral in pulling off the power in the story.
Without dialogue, it is left to stars Meriel and McHarg to emote with only facial expressions and body movement, and they excel at this, bringing every fiber of this tale to vivid life. They enact key moments of this couple’s falling for one another, to the beauty of the pleasures in life they enjoy together, and it all melds into one canvas, an all-out illustration of their love and the impact is has had on them through time. What this then accomplishes is to draw the viewer into wondering what could have possibly caused what appears to be such a void between them, circumstances that would rend apart two such devoted souls. It makes the reveal that much more convincing, effective, and forceful on the heart.
Another winning effort that shows why independent film continues to be the place to find story, character, real emotion, and themes we can relate to as human beings.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
I really like this new movie from Yann Danh and I had also very much appreciated “At All Costs”.
I think that your review really emphasizes the qualities of this short and its director.
I just would like to give you my own experience of the film: I knew from the start that the woman was a ghost. I could not say precisely what make me realize it at the very beginning of the movie though.
Maybe the title reminded me of Spielberg’s “Always” (at a subconscious level because I had not actually made the connection before watching the short).
Nevertheless, even if I knew how the film would end, I still found this story and those characters very moving and I enjoyed this short probably as much as you did.
@One Film Fan : Thank you very much for your very kind words.
@Laurent Franchet : Thanks! I’m glad you liked it and that you liked AT ALL COSTS too 😉 🙂