WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
WATCH THE FILM HERE
First, the Recap:
Ever feel like a compass that’s utterly broken? With everything in your life seemingly on the right path, that certain rub comes strolling along that abruptly throws it all into turmoil. Then, as you are suddenly required to adapt or “perish”, the realities of social, political, and personal baggage all come flooding out in a torrent of, well, frenetic mayhem. It is 2020, NYC, and for a certain jabroni named PN (Todd Montesi), the monster is COVID-19 and all the associated tumult it has now caused for him, including the potential to zoom date with his object of affection, Kenzie (Kenzie Klem). Trying to find solace amidst friends and others, it is apparent that COVID-19 is the enemy of all that is good, with PN and crew exploring all the rips in their existences that it has caused–for good or ill.
Next, my Mind:
Carrying itself like a more wacked-out, avant-garde, outlandishly comedic, wryly intelligent version of an extended “Seinfeld” episode, this 50-minute short film effort from writer/director/producer/editor Todd Montesi dives deep into the realms of overt, random, non-sequitur-laden, yet strangely cohesive insanity that is this current age of COVID-19, delivering its zany humor and political, social, and personal commentary with a satiric bite that playfully mocks almost every primary facet of how we as a country have reacted to the current pandemic. It’s the sheer relevance of its foundational points being made that allow the viewer to remain engaged, even during multiple sequences that might normally (and still might) have you scratching your head. What this critic felt was even more ironically hilarious is that buried within it all, one could say it is a narrative of unrequited love in a time where social distancing has, in many ways, killed the ability to connect directly with people in this or any other way.
It must be understood as well that the format in which this story is presented is much more in line with a web series execution rather than the traditional set-up of a narrative film, but with Zoom-based projects becoming a new normal, this finds its place within the definition of “short film” well enough to plausibly consider it such, even as the dialogue here and there during the film does hint at its web series roots. Watching PN’s journey is, as mentioned above, quite amusingly odd, as the concepts of social distancing, wearing masks, being furloughed from work, seeing extremes in overall paranoia, behavior, and attitudes towards the pandemic, finding the means to get out and try to enjoy ANYTHING even resembling normal, the lengths people go to to survive, earn, and cope with it all, while likewise offering some fantastically unexpected cameos and both goofy and irreverent takes on other elements of life in general, all played to maximize the impact of the film’s intent towards this new actuality we’re having to battle through.
Along those same lines, however, there’s also a very positive tangent provided about how, thanks to this altered state of being we’re in, people have had to become more creative in presenting themselves and their talents in order to move forward and find some sense of equilibrium. Even though this is also often played for comedy throughout the film (ie: Groper, played by Derrick Williams, and his thriving business of teaching kung-fu/ninjutsu/rap (??!!) via online classes!), there’s actually a beautiful truth that resonates within this in that people had to find those new avenues of innovation and imagination thanks to the state of things, and this has proven to be quite the exploration in having to think outside the box, something that I know this critic hopes sticks around even after COVID-19, ONE day, becomes a thing of the past in its current impact on the world. It adds a clever perceptiveness to events, at least in my opinion. There is a certain sequence that was a more blatantly crude for me that I didn’t prefer, not being a fan of that style of comedy, but fortunately, most of what’s offered is just plain entertainingly fun. An animation-based moment was a tad bizarre for me as well.
Montesi does a wonderful job in his portrayal of PN, an innocently oafish bloke who finds himself trapped in the confines of job loss, social distancing, over-the-top friends (David Voice as played by David the Voice Stein anyone? LOL), and the woman he pines for. Longing to get himself OUT of “loserville”, he embarks on a Zoom and cell phone video-based adventure that doesn’t yield the results he is ultimately desiring, all while having to be constantly reminded about everything being out of control when it comes to COVID-19 awareness and his own unperceived shortcomings when it comes to how others look at him and his plight. Will his goals be realized or get buried under the absolute chaos of CONVID-19 in his home in NYC and cause him to desire more direct action he believes will be the solution to it all? Throughout, Montesi very much utilizes a purposefully dry, deadpan style to present the humor in the character, and he does this with enjoyable and wholly believable and understated energy.
There are several supporting characters who arrive here, but I wasn’t immediately able to locate profiles for them in order to directly mention/link here, at least beyond Klem as the wonderfully charming Kenzie, whose opinion of PN may or may not be what his dreams of her entail, Williams as Groper, whose perfectly executed deadpan comedy is so much fun to watch, Joseph Lewis Dixon as one of PN’s best friends Dixon, and David the Voice Stein who is one wild trip of a personality here and the source a moment of the more–off color–topical jocularity. But, suffice it to say, all those who appear are giving it their witty best and so just know you ARE being acknowledged here for your efforts! In total, “PN & Friends: Summer Distancing” will not be for everyone necessarily, but it illustrates the ever-fluctuating boldness of the indie film arena to offer that which isn’t often typical, which in itself always remains refreshing. Take this as the farcical release from the “pressures” of COVID-19 and its current hold on the world, an exercise in silliness that proves laughter CAN be the best medicine.
As always, this is for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
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