Short Film Review “Last Night” The unintended and provocative chance for redemption, healing, empathy, and the future within the looming shadow of suicide
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First, the Recap:
It’s over. For good. Forever. The finality that a statement like this makes is, to say the least, completely definitive in its purpose. Day to day, we are taken in by what we confront, the choices we make, and the consequences of the actions which follow. While we hope this is ultimately for our benefit, there are those times when it tragically feels like there is no other recourse other than to escape the tumultuous reality we know. After all, nothing can or will change our minds, right?
It is a night like any other night in the city except for Arun (Navid Tharani) and Tam (Melina Farahani), whose life paths will cross unexpectedly on a lonely rooftop in the moments of endings for them both. Making a decision to see the night through together, they embark on a journey through the city that will grant them more than they ever would have thought. In the wake of such eye-opening truths, will it be enough to alter their fates?
Next, my Mind:
Sensitive subject matters, this critic feels anyway, are never something I would remotely classify as “easy to handle” when it comes to the cinematic world. One wishes to believe that anyone choosing to delve into hard topics would treat it with due diligence, a compassionate heart, and awareness-raising objective all while addressing said concerns with an equal amount of unflinching rawness so as to elicit the reactions it should from a viewer. In the last many years now, I’ve had the privilege of screening a myriad of short films from the highly prolific, award-winning UK-based indie production house Slick Films, and suffice it to say, if you’re looking for an indie effort that encompasses all that I mentioned above, look no further than this new project from director Hannah Beach, writer James Murphy, producer Will Slade, plus executive producers Chris Overton, Mustapha Wehbi, Dan O’Dwyer, and Rachel Shenton.
With their reputation and past projects already defining the very nature of stirring, compelling, life lesson-infused, character-driven films, Slick Films once more shines with the brightness of the sun while tackling the heartbreaking specter of suicide through a narrative which sees two complete strangers having a chance encounter during what is supposed to be a final bow which ends up affecting their lives in unforeseen and pivotal ways. The very first thing I must state is that the mood and tone presented here is so filled with tangible emotional potency yet often gets delivered in an understated way but doesn’t LOSE it’s power or messaging because of this. Very much the opposite, there’s an intentionality in this approach I felt only serves to cement the sheer weight of the film’s foundational thematic exploration while conveying a wholly necessary, deeply human spirit and soul.
It’s such a profound, quietly harrowing, definitive instance of desperation that brings the two primary characters together, and the effects of this initial meeting, the persuasive influence it has on them, the subsequent actions they choose to take, the beauty of an unanticipated understanding and bond, how other factors in other people’s lives can then speak towards both our own pain and potentially reminding us of the value of life, the elements involved that then cause us to truly be willing to FACE our inner strife, but still candidly showcases that it is still up to us to accept or refuse to release it become additional tangent themes that manifest out of it all. It is a tale of perspectives (there’s a below-looking-up moment that really speaks when you genuinely ponder it), how we decide to interpret things, our means to embrace the possibility of HOPE, and more so how we simply need to BE THERE for not just ourselves, but for the welfare of others.
The finale is one that I must applaud for its conjecture-centric execution, as it adeptly leaves us with not only its heavy yet strangely cathartic sense of satisfaction in spite of the core subject, but it allows the mind to carry forward with what one concludes could be an ending that remains positive and encouraging while prompting us to consider what we can do for one another and those who are so drastically upended by suicide’s blatantly sorrowful grasp. It is a main cast of two for this endeavor, and in traditional Slick Films fashion, the actors chosen excel at providing us performances that have meaning and due significance. Tharani assuredly brings about the “everyman” demeanor combined with the initially muted yet evident intensity of a man in turmoil whose objective is clear from the start, until it’s not, through his role as Arun.
When his rooftop to end it turns into a newfound connection with another individual with the same mindset, Arun runs with it to an extent that might even belie his original thought process. But whether his own now revealed heart of kindness and concern can allow him to rectify his troubles remains to be seem, and watching Tharani take the character through the ebbs and flows of this degree of volatility, both in subdued and conspicuous ways, is a testament to the actor’s skills. The very same can be declared for Farahani here, as she so effectively imbues and embodies a woman just wanting to be left alone to discover the “out” she feels is the only way being suddenly interrupted by something she didn’t see coming through the role of Tam. Very resistant to another person’s “interference”, Tam slowly opens up to Arun’s pleas and offers of companionship that leads to unanticipated personal revelations and considerations.
But again, whether this will all be enough revitalization of life to warrant a change of mind is the crucial, and Farahani is wonderfully engaging while being achingly vulnerable through this performance so filled with the burden of choices past, present, and future the character now must encounter. Supporting players arrive through Jessica Barber as Lily, a street psychic who meets with Arun and Tam in their nighttime city adventure, Carlota Caraballo Clark as Isabel, a tenant in a certain key apartment building that has the first mark on the pair when they have initially made their decision to hang out for the evening, Coco Peach as Chantelle, Lily’s assistant who first convinces Arun and Tam to meet Lily, and Monty Mclaren-Clark as Freddie, a local piano player who just might have a central part to play in Arun’s life’s path.
So, in total, “Last Night” is Slick Films doing what they do best with consistent skill, resolute purpose, uncompromising messaging, and virtually unmatched presence across the board…transporting us into worlds and themes that are needed and applicable, pushing us to contemplate, challenging us to action, and illustrating the reality of the human condition. Here, I hope this film carries a battle cry to HELP those in this depth of despair, to KNOW there is HOPE, and that even in the darkest of times, there IS light to be found, dispelling the shadows, and ideally leading us home to experience the brighter side of things once again. Take heed, humanity, we need more acknowledgement, more responsiveness, more films like this.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
