Oscar Qualifying Short Film Review “Just The Usual” This exploration about holding onto dignity and legacy in the face of change is a cut above
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW:
First, the Recap:
The sum of one’s life. We can look at ourselves, those things we’ve strived for, the things we’ve successfully accomplished, and at least try to gaze into the mirror and believe it all adds up to total contentment and satisfaction. Sure, we’ve all had our down times amidst the ups, but as a whole, do we not wish to KNOW that for all we’ve worked at, the end of it will feel bittersweet…a letting go while still holding to the beauty of that which we’d gained achievement through.
Such a day has arrived for a local hairdresser named Ole Benny (Søren Sætter-Lassen), whose longstanding and steeped-in-old-traditions business has been a staple for over forty years. Now his final bow as an owner has come, and as Ole Benny goes through his well-known daily routine while awaiting his final clients, it turns into a mix of memory and melancholy, as everything he’s known has changed, moved on, or progressed forward. It is the end of an era. How will Ole Benny close it out?
Next, my Mind:
Being appreciated for who you are, always aiming to be someone who likewise returns this to all you interact with, and standing firm for what you’ve established in spite of a world under constant transformation, the realities of loss, and things aging around you are prolifically, candidly, even playfully conveyed core concepts found through this Oscar Qualifying indie short film from writer/director Nanna Tange along with producers Hanne Bruun and Kim Magnusson. An exercise in deep character and narrative-centric drama, tempered with slight touches of light humor, this is simply twenty-seven minutes worth investing in for the portrait of said notions mentioned above paired with an understated tone and uncomplicated visual ambiance that speaks so adeptly to another primary cornerstone found in so many indie film efforts….facing mortality….in this case via multiple ways that cement a very well-written story’s main character to a “T”.
This critic is such a huge proponent of the filmmaking medium that is short film, because when it is executed with excellence, what can be delivered in abbreviated form yet still carry a sense of totality in narrative is what makes it shine so brightly, as is unquestionably attained here, and hence why it is Oscar qualified. Following the both happy yet ultimately unsettled final day of business for a local hairdresser whose loyalty and old fashioned demeanor has been a standard for his community for over four decades, there’s such a conspicuous beauty to the atmosphere created, lending an emotive mix of expectation, disappointment, reflection, revelation, and release for its protagonist as he goes about what would otherwise be a typical day filled with what his reality contains most consistently, and as the film’s title so appropriately states….”just the usual”.
Focused on a myriad of circumstances where this idea is so wonderfully and intelligently explored, how it is then deftly blended into the grander narrative serves to further emphasize the actual gravity of Ole Benny’s situation and WHY he ends up feeling the way about things that he does. It isn’t just a straightforward journey, but one filled with so many fluctuating emotions and sensations he’s experiencing, and this is what draws you into his state of contemplation and newly forming realizations about where life comes to, even when we might not remotely wish to necessarily acknowledge, much less accept, it. With additional forays that cover being observant, how we rush and don’t have patience to interact with others, the hardship of finding genuine people who CARE, knowing pride in our careers, actualities of getting older, and facing the inevitability of things evolving around us, it’s a potent illustration of human existence on display.
As hinted at above, the visual presentation of the film is so unassuming yet magnificent IN its purposeful simplicity. Taking NOTHING away from the project’s appeal due to this approach, the manner in which the camera embraces then puts forth the imagery of Ole Benny, even more so his charmingly quaint, old style barber shop, just envelops you like a warm blanket while also solidly striking you in a “passing on into a newer age” vibe as the film advances and the both apropos and honestly quite witty finale comes about. Every shot sets the stage for what we know is unavoidable for Ole Benny’s character, and the crispness and muted colors really do suit the entire aura and mood of the film. As we do reach the the conclusion of the narrative, it lends itself so well to quiet heartbreak but also cathartic satisfaction (with a little chuckle thrown in), making it the ideal depiction of the need for closure and the joy, if not uncertainty, of what comes next.
Saetter-Lassen adeptly lends to and further exemplifies the exact facets of this film I’ve previously mentioned above, putting forth a performance so steeped in subtlety, nuance, and understated attitude that befits both the story and character he’s playing through his role as Ole Benny, a local hairdresser who’s been a fixture in his community for over forty years. Now coming to the literal final day he will be open before progression takes his business away, all he desires is for the day to therefore be special….for him AND for everyone he will interact with. However, as the day moves ahead and Ole Benny encounters several people who DON’T share his attempted happiness in the day or seem to even truly appreciate what it signifies for the services he’s provided for so long, and how he chooses to face this is what his choices and actions made and taken on depict.
It’s really a masterclass in muted emotional energy, facial expression, body language, and inward-turning perceptions and deliberations that Saetter-Lassen delivers here, as every single moment we’re watching Ole Benny go about his “norm” WHILE in the midst of the flurry of inner pondering he’s going though in watching all he’s known coming to a close is just touching and wrenching at the same time thanks to the way in which the actor immerses himself in the moments then maneuvers the character through them. Such a testament to the skills these artists bring to the screen. Primary supporting turns arrive first from Søren Thomsen as Hr. Carlsen, one of Ole Benny’s most “veteran” clients and one who, on the last day Ole Benny would wish, doesn’t choose to pay attention or show any real care about it being the shop’s last day, but seems to wish silence and a quick cut so he can be on his way.
Petrine Agger is Hanne, the owner of a small sandwich shop across the way from Ole Benny and whom shows actual compassion for her business neighbor’s last day, much less being a voice of revelation for him about a certain other standing client he was anticipating seeing. Daniel Mierz is a delivery driver who shows up to Ole Benny’s shop with what turn out to be a few harbingers of what is to become of the classic old-style place Ole Benny has kept as such for so long. Casper Kjær Jensen, via voice only, is a telemarketer for salon equipment sales who has definitely chosen the WRONG day to be calling to entice Ole Benny to buy anything for his shop. Finally, also via voice only, Jytte Kvinesdal as Ulla, a local florist whom Ole Benny finds he needs to call….again. So, in total, “Just The Usual” is a strongly written and directed, wholly poignant, gently intense study in what we value even when others don’t, the price of time, the dignity we strive to maintain, the ups and downs of our reality, and the inexorable truth the no matter how much we may wish to try and fight it….life must keep moving on. So do it. With a nice haircut to boot. And NO flies!
STAR RATING (out of 5):
