WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Deliberations. They can be SO absurdly exhausting, right? We get that proverbial bee in our bonnet about SOMETHING, and it turns into an entire inner monologue that begins to encompass all that we know or think, a presence that won’t leave us alone until, perhaps, something ELSE finally breaks in and interrupts the process. But, even so, does it become that which assuages our previous scrutinies–or end up teaching us an even harder lesson in what it is to really KNOW something–or someone. George (Gregg Chilingirian) has a mind plagued by the mystery that is HIS very own existence. Unable to truly reconcile WHAT he believes about how things have come about in the first 30 years of living, an unanticipated twist (aka: a woman named Kyoni (Emma Gojkovic) enters his circle, and throws all he’s been pondering into a tizzy. But, to what END remains to be seen.
Next, my Mind:
Independent cinema is anything but timid. Quite the opposite, it tends to choose bolder, fearless, even audacious avenues to express the concepts its filmmakers are looking to convey, even when it blatantly strays beyond the prototypical “standards” or “norms” involved in the cinematic industry. And THAT, folks, for this critic anyway, is the sheer BEAUTY of it! Hence, we come around to this THIRD film brought to life by the award-winning proficiency that is UK-based production company Slick Films, writer/director/producer Gregg Chilingirian, co-producers Sophie Jones and Emma Waslander, plus executive producers Chris Overton, Rebecca Harris-Turner, Delphino Huang, and Mustapha Wehbi that was recently a part of the 2023 HollyShorts Film Festival. Let’s first state that we officially have a five-star hat trick capped off by the eleven and a half minute short here that is a quirky but clever amalgamation of experimental and narrative formats gelling together to form an equally eccentric, entertaining, but also awareness-raising mix of drama, humor, existentialism, mental health, and that which influences our thoughts, decisions, and actions. It is the applicability of it all to this wondrous and scary mystery we call life.
Told from the perspective of a 30-year old “everyman” who’s having just a SLIGHT–ok, ok, CONSIDERABLE–conundrum when it comes to deeply ascertaining this silly little thing called his birth, growing up, and his supposed place in the world, the narrative’s exposé centered on this gets unexpectedly upended when a woman enters his sphere, sending him on a wholly different philosophical mindset that decidedly may or may not provide the answers he’s been seeking. It’s an initial exhibition of our perceptions of who we are and the value of what we are based on the circumstances we’ve encountered from birth until the present, at least in the context this film chooses to explore. Foundational tangents about the pressures and expectations placed upon us and the subsequent faltering we often confront when not meeting those, whether in our own mind or in the eyes of others form the core here at first. Even how we can hurt ourselves or others to survive, being immersed in pretending to “be” rather than just BEING who we are is also given treatment.
But, then comes the wild card–in this instance, a woman–whose presence completely shifts our playfully neurotic protagonist’s adventure and sends us as the viewer on a trip through all the ins and outs of someone suddenly having that “special person” in their life–accompanied by all that gets adjusted accordingly. The film whimsically, but with such wonderfully, intentionally, almost satirically DRY wit, travels through the phases of this newly formed bond and covers one of the most accurately hilarious groupings of “symptoms” imaginable, from dating, to veganism, teetotaling, abrupt forgetfulness of EVERYTHING else BUT her, missing important events or dates, meditation, loss of inhibitions, sacrificing career (well, WORK at least), alienation of others, pet ownership, fulfilled (after LONG overdue timeframes!) dreams, and the potentials that arise for the future. A portrait of partnership and relational bliss to give life MEANING.
However, it’s what comes next, in the scope of events that is the effort’s highly potent and jarring finale, which actually DEFINES this project and the messages it has presented, for it speaks SO overtly to our habits of ONLY seeing the surface of things and just diving in without KNOWING what there is TO know about not just ourselves, but someone else, as I hinted back in the synopsis above. The lessons learned here are raw, candid, and frankly jolting yet carry a resonance that should shake us to the soul, no understatement. We gloss over so much in our realms of existence and how we interpret the unfolding road before us–we label, we keep out what we DON’T wish to believe or doesn’t fit in the “perfection” pursued, quickly engrossed in what ISN’T true or understood until reality punches us in the face. One could argue this film is quite cynical, but I don’t really sense that is the point. It’s simply a hard look at humanity and what we’re about sometimes, and if anything, need to be more aware of and willing to embrace changes when required to see things more clearly.
Chilingirian steps out from behind the camera and puts himself quite emphatically in front of it with magnificently presented, undeniably offbeat, acerbic comedy and purposefully monotone dramatic narration for the story via his title role as George, a thirty-year old man with a severe case of identity and self-awareness crisis desperately contemplating what to make of his existence up to this juncture. The arrival (via a chance meeting during a yoga class) of a woman named Kyoni into his meanderings signals a sharp divergence in his worries, and soon he finds slowly but satisfyingly building happiness and, perhaps, purpose. But, will this last? This kind of unconventional character, at least in my opinion, is one not easily played, only in that you want to be humorous yet not entirely goofy, while also wishing to at least show George IS just a normal (albeit questioning and sarcastic) guy who only wants what we all want–signifigance and balance in life. Chilingirian nails this with everything he has, and does so with flair for both the serious and the sardonic, which befits the character to a “T”. The approach gives the character that relatability I always look for in characters when it comes to subjects that address who we are and strive to be. Accomplished.
The primary supporting role is, of course, provided by Gojkovic as the beautiful yet strangely ambiguous woman Kyoni, whom George meets while abroad and with whom he soon finds himself enamored with. Outwardly, she is the picture-perfect girlfriend, adventurous, enchanting, affectionate, and all else a man would want. The only question that remains–does George really know her, or is it all the baseline adoration and shallow understanding in being caught up in love without taking the time to fully grasp her or show interest in doing so. I love the manner in which Gojkovic presents the character so that we too are swallowed up in her captivating appearance and seemingly impeccable personality, while leaving it out there what might lie underneath. Additional appearances are made by Michael Kennedy, Leo Ashizawa, Adil Akram, Sara Wilson-Soppitt, Steve Chilingrian, Laura-Josephine Williams, Ainsleigh Brandler, Valeria Pilati, Rachel Seymour, Natasha Bush, and Katie Forster.
So, in total, “George” stands tall as a primary example of the daring confidence indie film revels in, delivering us a narrative that is as mischievously lighthearted as it is profoundly impactful, willing to take on themes that cause us to both laugh and feel compelled to take life far more seriously, making it a higher priority to FIND THE TIME to not just be assured with who we are, but also be compassionately intentional to see worth in truly getting to know others that influence and make our lives better, even in the face of challenges we need to overcome and be cognizant of in those around us. This journey did indeed begin with “Oh yeah, I was born”. Now, let’s make it a journey to inspire and BE inspired while respecting the fragility of what we have.
STAR RATING: (Out of 5)
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
