WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
You’ve heard it said that breaking up is hard to do. Once we’ve invested ourselves in a relationship with someone who’s completely, utterly captured our heart, we’ll grasp onto that inspiration and make every attempt to protect the bond through anything and everything. Yes, it is a fantastic, wonder-filled sensation–until it’s the other person who breaks the link. In modern-day London, dentist/struggling comedian Ali Nawaab (Haider Zafar) sits in rattled disbelief as his world comes crashing down, emotionally sucker-punched by the one who’s been his physically present afflatus, Ellie Goldsmith (Daniella Down). Of course, he does what anyone would do–he panics, flustered and discombobulated, making every effort to comprehend what’s now occurred–and what he’s just lost.
Profoundly retreating deep into the recesses of his own disenchanted, eccentric mind, Ali begins a very unconventional journey to rid himself of every memory that includes Ellie from inside his head–with some “help” from three “scientists” (Lucien Morgan, Julian Lamoral-Roberts, and Tom Bonington) whom Ali begs to “fix” him. Once they initiate his request, Ali then finds himself accompanied by imaginary figures reflecting his own inner being via his feminine side, Jodie (Anna Leong Brophy), and his cynical, sarcastic side, Lad (Michael Keane). Desperately trying to not experience further insanity over Ellie, the three venture through the scenarios, events, and destinations Ali associated with his relationship and feelings, but finds that erasing Ellie from his mind and being willing to truly let go are harder and more painful than he ever imagined.
Next, my Mind:
With a darkly comedic mean streak and decidedly unorthodox, zany, offbeat delivery, this feature length effort from co-directors/co-writers Haider Zafar and Marcus Flemmings is certainly anything but ordinary, which ultimately benefits the film and makes it stand out from standard fare, indie or otherwise. It’s a uniquely crafted experiment in plumbing our penchant as human beings to so often hang on tightly to what we’ve lost and/or have no actual control over, supplanting common sense and realistic expectations for overtly aiming to purge the entire experience from our existence instead of mourning, yes, but then perhaps treasuring the value of what was learned and gained from, in this case, a relationship while it was alive and vibrant. Life doesn’t always work out the way we planned or think it should, and this well-paced narrative places the viewer in and on Ali’s chaotic, world-weary path to discover this and finally deal with it.
Zafar’s performance here is absolutely fantastic as Ali, infusing the character with a wealth of quirky, peculiar, idiosyncratic behavior as he deals with the loss of love and his muse in Ellie. However, the character also is given opportunity to illustrate the heartfelt passion and commitment he presented towards Ellie, and so one can more than understand his hurt when everything gets so unceremoniously cut off. Watching Zafar navigate this crazy cacophony of inner emotions Ali experiences is a true treat and smart acting. Down has the honor of playing the beautiful source of Ali’s happiness and downfall in Ellie, an American overseas for her job, and whose time there with Ali, while true and filled with fun, has abruptly reached its conclusion. Watching Ellie’s own perceptions of the emotions she’s feeling towards Ali is both a sympathetic and heartbreaking exposé, as one can tell how much she cares for him, yet there’s still hesitation on her part in it all, and Down very much emotes this with convincing realism.
Add the excellent supporting turns by Brophy and Keane, whose portrayal of Ali’s inner self are a superb study in emphasizing both the calmer, intuitive, practical decision-making Jodie represents vs. the arrogant, jaded, yet still intelligent attitude presented by Lad. Llila Vis makes a particulary engaging appearance as Ali’s uppity sister, while the scientist trio of Morgan, Lamoral-Roberts, and Bonington simply provides additional fun to the proceedings. With this, and in total, “The Conversations” effectively and decisively stands out as one keenly original, smartly written, and entertainingly strange slice of filmmaking that might not end up for everyone–but perhaps it should be.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
