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Unpredicted alternatives. Unforeseen circumstances. Undeniable consequences. Each and every day we arise, there will be choices, decisions to ascertain and move forward with. It seems clear we should have the general confidence knowing in advance that what we will face in the moments encountered as minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years pass, even when not having foresight of precisely how each segment of our lives will unfold. So, when there comes about a given situation that takes us utterly by surprise and throws our entire notion of steadiness and confidence to the wind, how exactly will we choose then to feel utmost assurance that the options presented will be in our own best interest–or that of someone else?
Take for example a typical day in the city for a populace going about there usual business, making their way to destinations, rushing down sidewalks and choosing to ignore the young man (Darius Mohseni) asking for just a few brief moments of their time. Persisting, the man finally manages to convince a passerby, Madam Sincope (Silvia Massegur) to pause in her own frantic pace in order to tell her about the organization he represents. All seems harmless enough until the conversation takes an abrupt and highly unsettling turn that finds Madam Sincope in a position that will test her to the limit, where even a local cop (Thibault Fraisse) may not be the assistance she needs, and forcing a solution that will impact her life forever.
Next, my Mind:
Independent short film gets another beautifully executed chance to stretch its wings and soar high via this newest effort from French-Moroccan writer/director/producer Yassine Harbachi, whose 6-minute project deftly showcases what events can transpire in just as brief a timeframe that will so greatly affect one woman’s life, further illustrating the potency of right and wrong choices, and then leaving the ultimate resolution cleverly to conjecture despite the only recourse she has being blatantly evident. What struck me here is the real world application of the concepts and themes being presented, as anyone who pays attention to local or world news can attest, in that the uncertainties which exist in our society when it comes to not only our own safety but that of our loved ones honestly comes into potentially all-too-tangible focus as those perpetrating devious/malicious acts of any kind become more advanced in their means to physically, mentally, or technologically gain access to us and said associations. Additionally, this film delivers the sheer fact that anyone, anywhere thinking they are above being impacted or victimized by a situation as depicted needs to think twice, not because anything ever will occur, but just due to the atmosphere of peril we live in currently, which is a sad, unfortunate actuality to take in, but no less true.
The narrative is striving to be the cautionary tale it should be, causing us to determine how we would see the course of action to take if confronted with a similar event, especially when emotionally compromised by what is transpiring and the lives being changed because of it. Then, are we willing to live with the decisions we make, more so if sometimes they could not lead to a positive outcome if we act out of desperation rather than calculated logic? In the face of a crime being so overtly committed, would we still be wise enough to take the road that protects ourselves when the price paid for that assurance far outweighs a greater price if acting contrary to what the conditions demand? These, this critic felt, are all feasible queries being explored in a quite impactful way throughout the film’s abbreviated runtime, and I personally applaud filmmakers in the indie community for their willingness to create and submit to us as the viewing public bold subjects and sometimes uncomfortable scenarios in order to do what so many indie efforts do–make us contemplate what’s being offered and how it applies to us in a grounded, relatable way. Visually, Fabrice Mengotti’s cinematography holds us right in the action with clear intent and precision, capturing the sequences of quietly palpable tension as it builds to its conclusion. The underlying music score likewise accompanies the proceedings efficiently, and the closing credits song “You Just Kill Me” from French indie group Roman Generation adds a dramatically affecting final punch to the film.
Massegur is fully believable and very much perfectly nuanced in her performance as Madam Sincope, a normal individual going about their day and hurrying to their destination who suddenly finds herself at the center of having to make the most important choices she’s most likely ever had to make. Like so many of us in the world today, her initial reactions of disbelief and even full-out doubts about what the man she is confronting has already done or could be capable of is totally understandable until she gets the reality check that makes everything she says and what actions she takes from that point on more inevitable and advisable, though she isn’t without moments of almost making foolish selections based on her flustered state of being. Throughout, Massegur maintains the character’s harried condition with poise and intensity. Mohseni delivers a completely apropos exercise in subtle, purposeful, calm-yet-eerie menace in his role as the survey-taker whose understated approach to gain Madam Sincope’s attention initially is scary in its wholly unassuming manner, which only allows the reveal it then brings about to be that much more disturbing and decidedly creepy in the untroubled, even-tempered tone in which he provides the details of what is actually taking place to his now-agitated and frightened target. Making sure she knows exactly what’s at stake with such objectively and analytically sound and, dare we say, comforting voice is what makes the realization of how disturbed and not a stranger to what he is doing the man is makes for the ideal villain here, and Mohseni makes us feel it without having to resort to overacting or melodramatic bluster to achieve the needed ominousness required.
Finally, Fraisse brings about one of the other fantastically orchestrated twists to the events as the police officer who takes notice of the unfolding encounter between Madam Sincope and the perpetrator, with the questioning attitude and behavior we’d expect. To say any more would not do justice to the moments in question, but suffice it to say, Fraisse does a great job in his performance and sells the character undeniably well. Additional appearances in support are made by Foued Kemech, Elodie Babo, Karim Mitallan, Otmane Ammi, Yasmine Chalek, and Christelle Rivas. In total, “2 Minutes” serves as the reminder of the state of the world, the precariousness of each day, the dilemma of true resolve and choice in times of distress, and being able to perceive what the best actions are to take when there’s really no other decision to make but the one that keeps us alive, ultimately safe, and protects that which we cherish the most.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
