WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Love in the modern age. How much have the means by which we connect with others shifted and morphed, molded into new paradigms of how we seek out the companionship that, we hope, will reveal “the one”. In a time of technology (much less COVID-19), the world has opened up even more through the realms of online dating, offering the chance to find someone anywhere in the world if we so desire. Yet, even when coming upon a special someone, reaching out, making that initial bridge–does it all ultimately equal that which we pictured in our minds? Frustrated in both his professional and personal life to varying degrees, Ian (Chase Hinton) looks to his online dating sites for answers. Upon a fortuitous happenstance while browsing, he meshes completely with Sofia (Johanna Sol). Yet, will what begins to blossom between them lead to forever happiness–or hard lessons in trying for absolute love in a contemporary arena of virtual attachment?
Next, my Mind:
A relevant, revealing, raw yet refined, dramatically potent yet playfully comedic, wholly engaging view of what it is to pursue love in an often isolating technological reality, this 94-minute indie feature from director/producer Ricardo Perez-Selsky, writer/producer/actor Chase Hinton, and lead producer/actress Molly Beucher wears its highly fluctuating, tangibly emotional atmosphere unflinchingly but with beautiful intent on its sleeve while delivering a narrative for our times that reverberates with an even more striking heartbeat of logical placement in this socially distanced era we currently know and the notions of finding someone during it. It more than successfully lays the encouraging groundwork for many of us who might have never considered the concept of searching for romance online while also being willing to likewise illustrate the potential pitfalls, shortcomings, and disappointments that it all can engender as well.
Utilizing one particular man’s endeavors to seek out that special someone to commit to and encompassing it within his other life struggles and a past that still painfully lingers within the confines of his soul waiting for real release, the story paints a stirring and sobering image of everything from the highs of excitement in “meeting” and so unexpectedly, quickly realizing the mutual joy of an immediate shared bond and the influential catalyst it also becomes to the possible and just as sudden truths that need to be grasped when having to try and form that union when specific factors involved aren’t available to entertain, bringing with it the impatience, frustrations, doubts, and inherent danger of heartbreak. The balance the narrative creates in exploring these extremes and all that happens in between them is deftly presented, and in a way that makes everything magnificently relatable, accessible, and applicable to our own lives in some form.
Additionally, there are, as initially hinted at above, many of the more “typical” scenarios that love-lorn seekers face being addressed in both delightful and unamusing ways, such as the ongoing awkwardness of how to present oneself with integrity without coming across as desperate or flighty, the range of topics discussed that come about once we’ve found that person and everything just starts coming out, the mistakes we make out of impulsive reactions to things and the subsequent modes of guilt and need for reconciliation we then encounter, and simply the sheer amount of utter, heartfelt honesty that makes a solid, lasting relationship. Everything is on the table between the film’s two primary characters, and it makes the uniquely written, fully creative, foundational core of what we witness more impactful and meaningful throughout, especially leading to a finale that will leave you captivated and reflective on multiple levels.
As is often the case, at least in this critic’s experience, the film’s perfectly constructed music score from composer Jakob Freudendahl poignantly accompanies the unfolding events, conveying their needed weight whether with evident joy or with purposeful melancholy. Likewise, the film is gorgeously shot in a way that so skillfully emphasizes the characters and moods portrayed. Hinton exudes a palpable passion and unguarded sincerity that, quite frankly, thankfully flies in the face of so much of this world’s often misshapen view of what it is to be “a man” through his role as Ian, a driven yet emotionally compromised individual whose path towards success and a better sense of self-value continues to be marred by loneliness and what he sees as failure. But, after many unfruitful attempts to connect with someone, he encounters Sofia, setting off a whirlwind of newfound feelings and openness, but also shining a revealing and necessary light on what he needs to let go of.
Even as his building desire to finalize meeting Sofia materializes, it becomes a test of his willingness to be patient and trust, stretching him beyond some limits while teaching him new ones. It’s an emotive performance and one hundred percent filled with a realism that really makes you sympathize with Ian while also wanting him to see his flaws and work it out, a credit to Hinton’s execution here and ability to give us a true picture of what it is to be human through the character. Sol is a whole different magnitude and mix of endearing charm, achingly authentic transparency, and full-on strength of manner with plausible vulnerability via her role as Sofia, a woman facing her own circumstances whose world is shaken for the better in connecting with Ian. Her need to discover that outlet to have and treasure genuine conversations, laughs, cries, while just being real is deeply evident even as she challenges Ian in ways he never might have totally realized he needed to be.
Yet, her own fears and hesitations also come into play, and the infusion of this amidst such an intensely building infatuation with Ian makes many of her interactions with him that much more moving while likewise more plaintive when they hit snags along the way. Just being real, I dare anyone not to fall in love with Sofia right along with Ian, and that is a full testament to Sol’s performance and the poise and grace she carries it with, especially when you see the film. Primary supporting turns are made by Eric Roberts as Ian’s father Jonathan with whom the storms of the past still thunder between them, Julia Parker as Ian’s doting mother Sandra, Michael John Madden as Ian’s brother JD, Elise Luthman as JD’s girlfriend Allison, Haskell V. Anderson III as Richmond, a business client of Ian’s and his artistic mentor, Taymour Ghazi as Ian’s fellow artist and friend Taymour, and Alexandra Hellquist as a girl from Ian’s past, Tina.
Additional appearances are made by Samantha Cutaran, Molly Beucher, Gabriella Biziou, Shannon Foster, Cynthia Lou, Pam Shayne Murray, Jasmine Rose, Dean Adamson, Montserrat Salaza, Mercedes Miranda, Aline Andrade, Mark Larson, Reuben J. Lee, Stephanie May, Lily Mueller-Marcus, Summer Vaughn, Jessica Brown, Josh Warren, Enrique Romero, Cervantes, Karla Guerrero, Cintia Marina Gonzalez, Angela Perepichka, Samuel Rico, Karol Angelica Valencia, Tenorio, and Octavio Vega. With much more to unpack, hence watch the film folks, “IRL” stands as an unreservedly resonant film, boldly encompassing a thematic reality for these current generations and the journeys associated with digitally-driven compatibility paired with the ever-present need for reveling in true love and acceptance. While there may not always be a guarantee of experiencing it, may we learn to love without fear, take a chance, find inspiration, and be open to see the world as only another person can help us do, all while keeping ourselves grounded where we should be from the start–IRL.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
