WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Absconding into fantasy. The truths we are surrounded by are not always pleasant. We find that taking to flight rather than facing them seems so much more fulfilling and, well, easy in the present. Yet, the longer we succumb to what we’re envisioning, this perfect world that’s been formulated, are we really free? Or, do we become a greater prisoner to that which we are now wholly disillusioned by? A young artist named Sofia (Ana Coto) views her world in just such way, escaping through the realm of sleep and the subsequent dreams she has of a perfect life away from the stresses and troubled mind that follow her in reality. Even as her well-meaning brother Pablo (Laris Macario) makes every attempt to “wake” her, it will become a choice Sofia must make to remain in clouded “actuality” or be truly liberated.
Next, my Mind:
Sorting out, much less enduring, the more emphatically negative events which shape our lives will forever be a challenge to us as the fragile beings we are, as briefly entertained in the synopsis above, and this concept is deeply and deftly explored with a raw candidness that impacts you with both brazen and veiled potency through the strongly written and executed 24-minute short film project from writer/director/producer Marcelo Mayen and producer Eva Doherty. Its forward manner and affecting gravitas pulls us into a narrative focused on one woman’s battle with not just the bygone situation that has shaken her whole world, but also the means by which she’s chosen to try and shove it all into the backdrop of an imaginary fairytale she goes to in her sleep in order to escape facing the pain and moving on while also seeing life itself gaining on her as she arrives at her 30th birthday.
Seeing how this all then affects her waking life is equally sobering and honestly heartbreaking, as the damaged self-image she shoulders, its associated depression, and notions of her lack of success with a meaningful passion, art, is illustrated via just how warped her perceptions of what inspires her (or more so, really, DOESN’T) gets even more lost in a wealth of excuses and doubts that only cripple her vision of reality more and more. Sinking deeper into this mire of unconfident awkwardness, how she views what she believes is “the perfect world” in her mind carries over into her day to day life in ways that don’t do her any favors, and hence why a doting brother like Pablo is so overtly wanting to see his sister get the infusion of something tangibly encouraging to show her the value she has and bring her to a newfound place of self-realization.
The initial ways this is explored is actually quite hilarious, and the aftermath of it is then back to being so poignantly moving as she yet again gets caught between the ideas in her mind and the reminders of what occurred in the past that continue to surface, crying out for the need to be let go of. This is what I always keep admiring and longing for in indie cinema, this absolute, straightforward, gut-wrenching yet passionate look into the very nature of us AS human beings and addressing the truths about how we behave in more distressing situations that we then wish to run away and hide from via coping mechanisms with a grounded, real-world format. It causes us to look at ourselves, or at least this critic feels so, and can even be a catalyst for change in our own ideas of how we see our handling of self-image and worth.
The film’s purpose and intent to give the viewer its look at Sofia’s life both real and fantasy is wonderfully presented visually as well, thanks to superb sequences that portray its protagonist’s love of art–the colors, the paints themselves, the images showcasing a fractured state of being immersed in nothing but the pipe dream that fuels Sofia’s only acceptance of existence initially. Given the plight of her character, the substantial vibrancy of all the pallets shown through the artwork almost contradicts the underlying tone of the story, but yet adds a depth and understanding of what journey she is on, especially as we reach the effort’s undeniably affecting finale. Additionally, Dylan Storey‘s music score is one of those that brings that beautifully orchestrated level of emotive power to the events as they unfold.
Coto is a vision of charming sweetness, palpable anxiousness, and engaging desperation in seeking release and validation in her role as Sofia, a struggling artist whose current “muse” is a mixture of a dream world filled with perfection and a reality doused in borderline neurotic urgency that seems to never end or bring the satisfaction she very much longs for. Having chosen for so long to flee her issues rather than face them, the more Sofia’s waking world collides with the escapist arena she resides in more and more, the chances of finding her freedom becomes even more unlikely to her. But, as events continue and a sibling intervenes, a euphoric release of truth about who she is, was, and can be arises, initiating a sublime awakening. Coto’s performance is so magnificently believable here, adding a distinctly striking essence to the character that is keenly, intensely relatable.
Supporting turns arrive through Macario as Sofia’s fitness-crazy but totally affable brother Pablo whose only hope is to somehow help see his beloved but resistant sibling come out of her funk, Jared Mason Murray as Ryan, a blind date Pablo arranges for Sofia with quite riotous results, Anthony T. Solano as the literal “man in and of Sofia’s dreams” which carries over into reality as well–sort of, George Deihl Jr. as wonderfully over-the-top, pretentious gallery owner/hipster, and Evangeline Young as a singer in the subway that has an impact on Sofia during a crucial moment. Additional appearances are made by Tawny Sorensen , Amanda Jane Stern, Yury Tsykun, Sarah Grace Sanders, Lukas Jacob, Arnold Lau, Ramses Torres, Josh Chae, and Tony T. Correa.
In total, “The Sleeping Life of Sofia” is a tapestry created about ourselves, our fears, our worries, our fights with how we see ourselves and the ways we try to escape that which has wounded us instead of confronting it. Yet, then, the film stirs the soul with the incontrovertible strength of overcoming said doubts and poor self-image, turning it into a wondrous emancipation of heart and mind that allows us to discover the person we’re really supposed to recognize, accept, and revel in.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
