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First, the Recap:
An act of evocation paired with the burden of overwhelming loss. Even as the mind struggles to grasp the reality left in the wake of unexpected and tragic events, those who love us most attempt to assuage the pain through well-intentioned acts of kindness or words of comfort. Yet, how much sympathy becomes too much to bear? On a night that should be one of the most anticipated in a young person’s school-attending days, Alan (Christopher Dylan White) hastily prepares for the evening out, yet finds himself at the mercy of hesitation, frustration, and doubts as he processes the heaviness in heart, mind, and spirit via reeling from a heartbreaking occurrence involving his mother (Kaye Tuckerman).
Even as his girlfriend Mary (Katya Martín) calls to ascertain his intentions in regard to the night’s gathering, evident and building inner turmoil Alan is encountering only serves to further attempt to dissuade him from engaging socially with anyone, especially those schoolmates who seem dead set on expressing their condolences to degrees now more painful and off-putting than soothing. As Alan’s mind races with brief images of his mother and happier moments with Mary, all while regretting specific choices made, the coping mechanisms being turned to also begin to show forth, eerily echoing subtle yet not fully illustrated truths about his mother and their relationship. As circumstances unfold, Alan must confront everything and everyone being affected, with potentially shocking revelations.
Next, my Mind:
With its wonderfully executed character-driven narrative, evocative, provocative, and, in the end, haunting implications highlighted through showcasing the power of choices made and dire actions carried out or considered while striving to overcome unrelenting grief, award-winning writer/director/editor Alex Lora, man of many parts–selecting scripts, coordinating writing and editing, arranging financing, hiring crews, location scouting, etc. anyone?–producer Toland Samba, and producer Klenimber Torres’s 12-minute indie short film effort provides a potent look at the consequences of one heart-rending event and the potentially devastating, lasting ramifications it has wrought on one young boy’s life. As we witness what could be considered the baseline effects being experienced ie: sadness, denial, unbelief, being “drowned” in sympathy, et al, the story then begins to delve deeper into the situation by giving the viewer many but small clues via smartly done visual sequences that let us understand more was involved with the lead character’s journey and the connection he had with his mother, all of which is coming to a head and being endured through stress, anxiety, anger, plus ingrained manners and conventions which now surface in the aftermath. It’s an exercise in influence and repercussion, how it seeps into us via those we’re closest to or is otherwise born out of harsher factors, molding us into the people we become, realizing that as much as we may not desire these elements to control us, we become set in our patterns. How we then choose to deal with it all begets other defining moments that will determine if we try to bury it all to boiling point, attempt to simply “go on” without truly addressing it, or finding the means to be freed fully in seeking help. Everything being explored here, shown in the context of one person’s mournful state of being, lends a deeply affecting tone to the film, especially in the powerfully depicted, indelible finale.
White delivers a fantastic, emotive, and understated performance in his role as Alan, a high schooler desiring nothing more than to have enjoyed an amazing night at prom with his friends and special someone which has now been marred by tragedy, dashed emotional stability, and the crushing weight of overt amounts of “I’m so sorry” from too many people, despite their heartfelt resolutions. Not wanting to be the center of attention, hence exposing his pain in front of classmates and most likely feeling like some sort of oddity, Alan’s anguished actuality is only made more intense via a cavalcade of mixed memories about his mother springing up amidst his phone conversation with Mary and recollections of intimate times with her that all blend into his own assigning of blame and regrets, even as somewhat familiar habits show their face as he does so, mirroring his mother to certain extents. Even his encounter at the school with Mary starts cementing the fact that his torment is deep and abiding, with its effects impacting him much more in his attitudes and actions than he wants to handle. It’s a sobering perspective to witness along with the subsequent choices Alan chooses to enact, and White just gives the character a realistic and at times almost chilling demeanor that suits the themes here so well. Martín plays Mary with poise and a purposeful urgency as a girl so desperate to try her best to alleviate a beloved boyfriend’s distress, even if just for the now, to distract his mind from loss, and allow him at least have some semblance of normalcy restored while also clearly showing how much she desires to be the listening ear and sincere comfort he needs. Her mix of frustration tempered with earnestness when finally trying to coax him to their school function then overt anger and dismay at his lack of accepting this course is genuinely enacted by Martín, a credit to the young actresses talent.
Tuckerman in her non-verbal role as Alan’s mother is so deftly portrayed in that so much about her is communicated without a single word being uttered. The body language, facial expressions, and overall bearing in the scenes she has speak volumes to things both obvious and not, a testament to Tuckerman’s ability. And additional supporting turn is given by Alden Etra as Alan and Mary’s schoolmate/friend Peter. In total, “Ways” is one of those short films that has so many more layers to it beyond the surface, and it is a pleasurable pursuit in watching it to decipher your own notions about just how much we can be healthily set in what the film’s title says, or be destroyed by them.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
