Short Film Review “Fallaway” An affecting human allegory about faith, self-identity, and misguided superiority
WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW:
First, the Recap:
Traversing dichotomies. While we might have an idealistic viewpoint of the world around us, wishing to believe that everything might find the means to exist in complete harmony, the often harder truth remains that it simply isn’t the case. Now, even with this realization in hand, who we are, the elements that define us, and just attempting to discover our place still tries to keep even the IDEA of a synergetic reality alive. What happens, though, when it not only doesn’t come about, but drastically impacts all we know?
It is freshman year at a local San Francisco college, and Caden (Christian Puentes) is truly desiring nothing more than to acclimate, gain new friends, and enjoy a new time of learning about, and BEING, himself. Things become highly complicated and stormy when his choice to become a man of faith collides with his infatuation with a member of the church, Giovanni (Kabir McNeely), who has demons of his own he is trying to overcome. When the pair’s worlds come crashing together, can they maintain identity or get swallowed up in subjugation?
Next, my Mind:
Over the last several years, beginning in 2021, this critic has had multiple opportunities to watch and review three previous short films from San Francisco-based indie filmmaker Kabir McNeely (see those reviews for “Keith“, “My Name Is Moe“, and “Devon“). On the surface, each one represents a point of growth for this critic, even as McNeely maintains deeply consistent thematic foundations in each and every one, making his films unflinching yet not remotely “preachy” in their messaging while also being one hundred percent accessible to us as human beings…NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE. This is so imperative for me when it comes to particular tangents that make up this new effort, a 51-minute foray into highly necessary facets such as faith, family, and mental health awareness, while this time more directly adding in an exploration of LGBTQ orientation and how it relates to the other aforementioned concepts. It’s honest, blunt-force, emotionally wrenching storytelling done in a wholly grounded manner that, again, makes the material relatable to everyone.
Acting as well as being the writer/director/producer of the project, McNeely teams up with producer Nicole Gutierrez, co-producer Jonathan Rollheiser plus executive producers Torian Allen, Inder Dhillon, Nicole Lichtenstein, Kenneth McNeely, and Olivia Sheng to spin a tale of two young adults at the start of their freshman year at college meeting, connecting, but then battling the forces suddenly aligned against them and who they are, even as all they wish to do is just LIVE. As with McNeely’s other projects, there is always a deft combination of both brutal and heartening life lessons enfolded into his narratives, fully, intelligently, and persuasively designed to make you really THINK about all that you’re witnessing, while feeling all the associated emotional volatility that comes from it. But, with this, I so respect not JUST the verity in which it is all displayed, but the genuinely open nature of how themes get expressed and addressed so as NOT to isolate any one audience, rather a more universal applicability in order to not step on anyone’s toes, per se, even when being candidly up front about the subjects at hand in the film.
This said, I actually do feel safe in stating that I am sure there would be some out there who would potentially take objection to how things are handled or even portrayed, complete (but truly, unintentional in my opinion) vilification of the institutions of church/faith vs. self-identity, which needless to say are VERY hotbed topics of debate and argument as well as blatant hatred and anger. In the context of this film’s narrative, we are seeing the skepticisms many a time attributed to “organized religion” being taken on while also the, SADLY, present judgements, prejudices, forced belief, manipulative, hypocrisy-driven actualities that DO exist within it as it applied towards, in this case, the LGBTQ community. But, I ALSO feel that the film’s tackling of this goes BEYOND this to just paint a raw portrait OF misunderstanding, close-mindedness, bigoted mentalities that DO and HAVE found their ways into people’s lives to an extent that causes so much damage that it leads to the kind of ultimate outcome this film’s jarring and heartbreaking finale chooses to deliver. All I have to say is, if you have a heart and soul, prepare the tissue box.
Mind you, even in declaring that, I am not attempting to “give away” anything. This film, for me, is another needed reminder to us as PEOPLE that we NEED to do ALL we can do to STEER AWAY from malice, violence (in any form), and embittered demeanors as a means to “resolve” our differences of opinions, etc. Do we all believe in both similar and dissimilar things? Yes. In this country, do we have the right to do this? Yes. Should our answer to encountering someone who believes DIFFERENTLY from us equal “Oh, well YOU are WRONG, I am RIGHT, and I HATE YOU!” as the answer? NO!! Even with the context of this very film’s thematic ventures, I’ve always been very open about the fact that LGBTQ topics are not a personal preference of mine. YET, when I see ARTISTRY, CREATIVITY, and a MEANINGFUL message involving this and other topics executed in a way that should WAKE US UP, THAT I can unequivocally get behind, as it TRANSCENDS basic beliefs and speaks volumes to the human condition, the state of our world, and all the reasons why we need to GET BACK to treating each other civilly, at MINIMUM, regardless of belief.
Puentes provides a totally grounded, subtly intense, and utterly credible performance here through his role as Caden, a young man at the beginning of a new chapter in his life who only wishes to know himself while gaining others around him to associate and enjoy the college experience with. Even as he’s immediately confronted with both LGBTQ and religious affiliations, Caden’s attempt to change his life in one way ends up drawing him into a conflict he never anticipated at the hands of an over-controlling church and its main council who have strong and forceful objections to what he should be free from and whom he has feelings towards. Even as he and Giovanni get buffeted by these elements, Caden must truly decide who HE wants to be vs. what OTHERS want him to be. But, will it be a decision that’s for his AND Giovanni’s betterment? Puentes as this affable but also energetic attitude he exudes through playing Caden, and it makes the character one we are rooting for as well as empathizing with.
With a consistency that mirrors his choices and efforts behind the camera, McNeely once more wins us over with innocent whimsey, strong dramatic fervor, and such emotive vulnerability through his turn as Giovanni, another college freshman and member of the church that Caden ends up a part of. The two quickly form a bond of brotherhood, with many shared ideals and outlooks on life that keep them easily in each others’ sphere. However, when Caden begins wanting to possibly delve into more than just friendship, it creates an initial hesitation and uncomfortable aura between them, even as Giovanni is facing the unrelenting and disheartening stabs at his lifestyle that a supposedly “loving” church doesn’t constructively handle, taking a harder approach driven by the pastor and Giovanni’s father that is making him confess to be someone he’s really not. How Caden and Giovanni will manage this forms a huge cornerstone in the story, and McNeely’s performance is filled with all those previously mentioned nuances the serve the character deftly and with the straightforward poise the actor’s known for.
Primary supporting turns arrive from Cabe Thompson as Aubrey, a friend of Caden’s roommate whose home parties Caden and Giovanni feel so relaxed and free at, Eric Elgin as Brad, the pastor at the church Caden chooses to join who in spite of his seemingly genuine heart may be a lot more negatively faultfinding when he doesn’t agree with something, Matthew Stefan Hopper as Michael, another senior member of the church who backs Brad unconditionally and who joins him in really attempting to “keep” Caden “on track” as events unfold, Angus Leslie as Huston, a former boyfriend of Giovanni’s whom we see mainly in flashbacks, David Ojakian as Leonardo, Giovanni’s strait-laced, highly religious father who has been that voice of angrily “corrective” reason towards his son and the lifestyle he doesn’t agree with, and Lisa Burton Guevara as Lucia, Caden’s doting mother whom he ultimately turns to when things begin going disquietingly south. All the performances are completely apropos for their characters and the parts they play, perfectly effective to help carry the intended gists of the story’s primary roads travelled.
Additional supporting turns come through Chantelé Shaw, Carlos Guerrero, Kai Woodley, Markus Vandyken, Yukti Singh, and Jeff Carbonel among a HOST of others. Please know, as I always try to say, that this critic acknowledges and appreciates your acting contributions to the film, as “it takes a village….” in the independent film realms, and hence you were ALL a part of that here. So, in total, “Fallaway” presents itself with the kind of fearlessness, steadfast convictions, and relevant, categorically all-encompassing, requisite, awareness-raising messaging that indie film continues to be so adept at placing in front of us. If we cannot find a way to simply exist together as people in this world, how can we ever expect to find the kinds of common ground, even with our differences, to discover the means to see our relationships AS humanity restored? It’s possible, folks. We just need to be willing to GO there, God willing.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
