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First, the Recap:
How do we truly picture our lives? On the surface, where the ability to create whatever image we wish can manifest through crocodile tears or the façade of smile-filled joy? Or is it on the inside, a place where things can linger and boil through our minds, hearts, and souls, eating away at our inner peace as we struggle to find what exactly it is that will fulfill us? This isn’t to say all is depressing and hopeless, but it still presents a broader picture of how unsettled we can become when what we feel stagnant, even bored, with routine and all that is supposed to bring us that contentment, gratification, and joy suddenly seems to fall short.
While it could be by conjecture and some clarified through their talk amongst each other, Matti (Jonas Hien) and his two best friends (Axel Sichrovsky and Puja Behboud) waste no time lamenting their current state in life and make it clear that seeking some sort of thrill which truly impacts them and sticks in their memories is paramount, even as restless and disquieted they are with what hand life has dealt them. So begins a game equally as unstable and uncertain as their state of minds that takes them all to a place of both apparent appeasement, then utter fear, then release. Twelve years later, friends reunite to discover again the same thrill. However, given harsh circumstances occurring since, what will the new encounter reveal about them all now?
Next, my Mind:
If you’ve ever lamented the notion of a film somehow managing to take twelve years to make, what if that was actually done on purpose? Such is a very unique truth about this 13-minute indie short film effort from writer/director/producer/editor Samuel Perriard and producer/editor Gaetan Varone, screening at the 2019 High Coast Film Festival sponsored by and/or in association with Illambra, Kramfors Kommun, Film Vasternorrland, Europeiska Unionen, Region Vasternorrland, Lansstyrelsen Vasternorrland and NBV. The film’s first act was quite literally filmed back in 2007 when these actors were the age they were and then not revisited until January 2019 when they reunited for the film’s second act, having aged accordingly. It puts the events and circumstances being depicted into a much more intensely realistic, albeit no less disturbing, light. We are introduced the these three men who’ve clearly got issues in some form with however their respective lives are being led and/or what’s contained within them, therefore having to not just get together as buddies, share a drink, talk it all out, then go home happy. No, rather, it becomes this disconcerting exercise in extreme catharsis bordering on, no really reaching the point of, total, unhinged madness.
Somehow, these men have found the efforts by which they carry out their warped game brings them some semblance of “peace” along with the supposed purging of pent-up frustrations, but the fact they’re willing to intentionally undertake the endeavor they do makes one wonder how exactly people who genuinely value their friendships could remotely think of something like this to put each other through, regardless of their being a twelve year gap in between “game” sessions. What adds to the tensions of it all, though, is a smartly creative second act that at least brings the whole “game” into the men’s minds for once on a level that causes hesitations, at least partly, for them. But this alone creates even more strain, apprehension, and agitation between them until when the pivotal moment happens, we as the viewer are about ready to fall out of our seats in shock, not knowing what we expected to happen and being surprised either way, at least that was the way it was for this critic. There’s such an intentional moral ambiguity going on, with you wanting to root for these guys on one level, yet not wanting to on another, dismissing them as simply insane. It plays right into the underlying Modern Western-infused narrative style aimed for and successfully achieved.
Visually the film is clearly shot with a steady, professional hand, which I love to see happening more and more overall within the indie film ranks, further showcasing that low budget does not equal poor quality anymore, at least not as exclusively perhaps as might have been in time past. Now getting to the acting portion here, first up would be the performance of really what comes down to the primary lead character of the story, beautifully portrayed by Hien in his turn as Matti, a man on a mission when it comes to the newly arrived 12-year mark for a return to a gathering of friends that holds special meaning, though decidedly unnervingly so. His resolve to make things happen carries through to the moment he meets up with them, but then wavers heavily upon facing the potential consequences of their actions, a hesitation he may not have considered as much upon their first embarking on said journey. Even when he finally goes through the ordeal, rather involuntarily this time, and comes out the other side, it has visibly shaken him up to the point of actually thinking about the place in life they’ve come to that “makes” them revisit this and leaves much to wonder about his and his friend’s futures. Throughout, Hien displays these shifting attitudes/mentalities with a simmering intensity that very much matches the air of anxiety and suspense delivered by the film.
Sichrovsky likewise brings a solid sense of both absolute, yet quiet fervor coupled with a leveled fierceness in his role as one of Matti’s friends who almost seems at certain points to be the most discomposed of the three, especially when the reunion occurs and his adamancy to carry out their “game” in the face of Matti’s sudden stalling comes out full on. His own reactions to it all are also very calculated yet frazzled, and Sichrovsky handles it with tempered poise. Behboud becomes a larger part of the overall story as the third friend, and his performance is right on par with the others, though revealing more detail about his character would be spoiling certain underlying and key elements to events, which I will not divulge here. In total, with a gut-punch finale that leaves you wondering what possible chance at a settled life any of these men will ever have paired with its themes of severe emotional isolation, unfulfilled dreams, and highly troubled souls, “Starshot” is a bold, raw, daring piece of indie filmmaking that certainly illustrates the fearless, no-compromise demeanor of those making these efforts come to life. This film may not make you smile, or leave with warm fuzzy feelings, but it will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on your mind.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
