WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The burdens we shoulder. When life feels like it’s thrown us under the proverbial bus, it always becomes how we either let it hold us down or otherwise manifest the d-o-u-g-h-t-i-n-e-s-s to master our choices and see a way through. But, what happens when the r-e-s-i-l-i-e-n-c-e sought after is marred by a force that is, so often, the most e-x-a-s-p-e-r-a-t-i-n-g to manage–family. Monica (Sujata Day) recalls being a former Scribbs Spelling Bee champ and the “glory” it gained her in childhood. Now an adult, things haven’t exactly gone to rewarding heights. Caring for her sick mother Jaya (Anna Khaja), tutoring a current potential spelling bee contestant, and only having solace via her best friend Krista (Lalaine), all while trying to escape through her artwork, things seem mediocre at best. When her estranged brother Sonny (Ritesh Rajan) re-enters the picture, however, events begin to unfold that will test all of their patience, familial bonds, and the decisions about the future long since d-i-s-r-e-g-a-r-d-e-d.
Next, my Mind:
Initially, when this 91-minute indie feature film began its NYC Premier screening as part of the 2021 NYC South Asian Film Festival sponsored by Toyota USA and hosted by Festival Director/Jingo Media Founder Jitin Hingorani and Artistic Director Ambica Dev, this critic felt the same kind of reluctant hesitation first experienced when seeing an earlier effort in the festival, “Rani Rani Rani“. It was that concern that if elements being presented didn’t become just a hair more engaging, it might not quite pass muster and sink into o-r-d-i-n-a-r-i-n-e-s-s. Entertaining-yes. Humorous-yes. Having potential but not necessarily anything containing a real level of staying power-yes. Thankfully, however, as with the aforementioned, comparable example, this offering from writer/director/producer/lead actress Sujata Day, producers Cameron Fife, Ritesh Rajan, and Datari Turner, co-producers Ted Coleman and Sourav Ray, plus a host of executive and associate producers finds its momentum and elevates into an ultimately pertinent drama with a deeply necessary core message about the need to address and utmost importance of mental health awareness, attracting the due attention to treating it that is more than warranted than ever before.
In delivering a narrative centered on a former spelling bee champion (she does seem to relish being in random situations where literally spelling things out in her mind occurs) now living a completely mundane, barely satisfying overall life as caretaker to her sick but certainly beloved mother while eking out an existence as a tutor, the primary catalyst that upends this enters in the form of her brother, who’s been away for a long period of time and has now arrived back home. It is from this juncture that we see the building up of the film’s foundational premise that sees the two siblings making attempts at reconciliation in the midst of their individual and shared circumstances, addressing thematic scrutiny of inadequacy, faded ambition, bullying, favoritism, hidden rage, forgiveness, and having to confront someone suffering from acute mental illness that’s more than ever in need of being treated. This very much provides the story with a grander, expanded intent that this critic honestly felt was required to, as stated above, upgrade the scope of the story and take it beyond a standard dramedy, which also allows the film’s finale to have a better impact.
This leads me to make sure to point out that despite a heavier, definitively serious undertones the film possesses in addressing the mental health issues it does, there IS plenty of comedic relief to allow some respite, including some wonderfully hilarious instances involving Sonny’s habit of–testing–his sister’s love interest Richie (Jake Choi), some beautifully light-hearted competitiveness between Sonny and Monica, random young adult-oriented bantering between Monica and bestie Krista, and an absolutely delightful, deeply amusing sequence where Monica and Sonny make quite the attempt to cheer up their ailing mother. That last mention brings up the other more distinct facet the film offers in the illustrating the sibling’s mother’s own struggles with illness while so desperately trying to bring her children back into an amicable state of being when the two find themselves at growing odds in the face of Sonny’s overt and often sudden volatility. What ends up making Jaya’s tale unique is what also delivers one of the film’s biggest surprises, and that was a definite plus for this critic.
Day effectively and with solidly presented finesse brings a wonderful performance to the screen in her turn as Monica, a former Scribbs winner and now an adult living in the shadow of that former success but not having the ongoing fulfillment she most likely longs for. Playing attendant to her mother while striving to make a living and have any sense of fun, Monica’s reality is inexorably transformed when her brother Sonny arrives home and ushers in a decidedly fluctuating series of moments that will define the family and their relationships forever. Will it be a better future for Monica or will this new actuality be a further hinderance that fractures it. Day relies on a multitude of emotive states of being to portray this journey, and does so in both an entertaining and affecting way throughout the film. This was a case where the individual performances lifted the film above average as well, and for me, Day certainly did that.
Rajan very astutely soars on strongly passionate and emotionally-charged acting wings through his role as Sonny, Monica’s voluntarily alienated brother who suddenly makes the decision to return to his home and, ideally, reconnect with Monica and his Mom. At first, he becomes that typical annoying brother to Monica, poking his nose into her business and often driving her crazy. Yet, the two seem to gain some newly nurtured attachment until things take a drastic turn that shifts the whole situation against him, at least in his own shattered mind as it comes raging out. Will Sonny be able to cope with needing the help his family desires him to receive or simply choose to once more isolate himself in the confines of the debilitating truths he resolves to believe are in his control. Again, this is really the tour-de-force performance of the film and it is therefore no surprise the film’s screening at NYC SAFF 2021 garnered Rajan the well-earned Best Actor award.
Khaja also achieves a beautiful performance here as Jaya, Monica and Sonny’s mother whose own physical needs and weakness prevent her at times from being a bigger presence between the bickering siblings (whether in jest or seriousness), as she clearly loves them unconditionally. Even as she does make the direct, sometimes undeniably necessary, connections especially with Sonny as the soothing voice of reason aiming to calm him when his mindset goes off the rails, the stress it brings to her threatens to further damage her own fragile state. How that pans out, watch the film and see through Khaja’s effective turn. Primary supporting players abound here, mainly in the form of Lalaine as Monica’s always well-meaning, voice-of-conscious-and-mischief best friend Krista, Jake Choi as Monica’s boy toy Richie, and Sonal Shah as Jaya’s physician Dr. Ali who has more than her fair share to say about the fighting sibling’s influence on their impaired mother.
Additional supporting appearances arrive from LeVar Burton, Katrina Bowden, Eugene Byrd, Parvesh Cheena, Tim Chiou, Sunkrish Bala, Meera Simhan, Kunal Dudheker, Will Collyer, Cameron Fife, Kabir Chopra, Ricardo Herrera, Maya Kapoor, Camden Zapf, and Esha Chundru among others. So, in total, “Definition Please”, while not necessarily a personal highlight of this year’s NYC SAFF for this critic as a whole, sustains itself and flies into our hearts on the weight of its mental health awareness messages plus the lead and supporting actor’s notable performances which save it from being what could have been your typical dramedy. Plus, Mindy Kaling is now involved with the film!! Well, there’s not even anything wrong with BEING typical. But, when you’re in the company of the films associated with NYC SAFF, it’s best to be MORE than “t-h-e u-s-u-a-l”.
Miss viewing “Definition Please” at either physical festival? Worry not! Check out the film online as it is currently screening as part of Virtual SAFF 2021!
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
