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Tribeca 2023 Short Film Review “My Eyes Are Up Here”

   

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

First, the Recap:

Ahhhh…SEX! Let’s put this into context of the seemingly timeless concept of a one-night stand. No commitment. No fuss. No muss. Enjoyed in the moment, even if prompted by a tad too much imbibing that then lead to a hazy (and perhaps HASTY!) decision to culminate the night with drunken intimacy, the end result tends to be a “Well, that was fun. See ya.” However, what if this usual reaction and aftermath only only STARTS this way, but then instead unveils unforeseen options being put into play that become a much grander experience in one’s stance on all that’s transpired? One of the most in-demand models on the circuit, Sonya (Jillian Mercado) has VERY little time for commitment or anything remotely serious with anyone. Yet on this morning after, she and her dalliance, an awkward but affable and kind man named Thomas (Ben Cura), could end up daring her to revamp deep-seated outlooks on men, life, and love.

Next, my Mind:

Sexy, intelligent, playful, dramatic, surprising in its twist, and ultimately all heart, this is one comedically fun yet also affectingly poignant 15-minute short film as delivered by director Nathan Morris, writers Arthur Meek and Aminder Virdee, producers Katie Dolan, Vanessa Muir, and Naomi Wallwork along with executive producers Josic Cadoret, Justin Edgar, and Dionne Farrell. Most assuredly starting with a bang (or, honestly, its aftermath. Forgive me!), then soaring in an immediate reveal, carrying itself smoothly and briskly with plenty of cheeky humor, the film then completely stands tall through object moral lessons that will pull at your innermost being as it becomes a story meant to speak to elements well beyond the surface which address several awareness-raising themes, serving to cement its intent with further strength and evocative brilliance. The film, in its New York Premiere, will debut with an initial in-person screening June 11th at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival with additional showings June 14th and 17th then online June 19th-July 2nd via the Festival’s site.

The narrative we are privy to here finds a highly sought after model awaking from an apparent, one almost senses, “Hangover”-type night of drinking to find she’s decidedly NOT alone followed by the subsequent game of attempting TO ascertain answers to it all from the goofy, clumsy, but fully amicable and accommodating man she’s currently with. The utter genius of this film, besides a quickly established and still gleefully funny reference to the title that’s expected given the circumstances being depicted, is that the primary discovery that’s made about HER during this impromptu “interrogation” session is one this critic didn’t remotely see coming and it automatically adds an entirely new and engaging dimension to what COULD have been a potentially average, overall unoriginal plot that now gets infused with new energy, purpose, and fully explored possibilities that makes this film the genuine gem it is.

Soon, there are tangents taken that span a wealth of more serious aspects of the situation at hand including consequence to choices we make, discrimination/prejudice, humiliation, our perceptions of people ONLY by the surface, learning to see through to someone’s intent (for good or ill), the power of compassion, kindness, and sincerity, our inner struggles with trust, more so when it comes to relationships and/or romance overall, being confident in who you are no matter what comes your way, having an openness to reassess the things we thought we’d always believe ONE way about, showing empathy towards someone that’s selfless rather than selfish, and letting go to allow life to bring something unexpected into our path, all of this I felt gets addressed in small or larger form throughout the film.  Yet, as indicated above, we’re still provided more than a fair share of joviality to enjoy. But, make no mistake, this really isn’t JUST a comedy by any stretch of the imagination, very much to the credit of Morris and Co.

To say Mercado is a consummate wonder here would be the epic understatement of the year so far, as she totally rises FAR above that which would hold some people back and instead fully embraces any perceived shortcomings to shine magnificently, inspiringly, fiercely, vulnerably, and in specific moments quite hilariously through her role as Sonya, a model everyone wants for their campaigns who finds herself in a bit of an unforeseen predicament when realizing a particular night went a particular way and now she isn’t particularly keen on things moving forward in any other manner. But, as she becomes more “entangled” with her fling Thomas the morning and then day after, a change of perspective begins to emerge that could alter her, and their, ideas about what could be between them, even as he must witness certain encounters that serve to endear her to him even more. It truly is a fantastically admirable turn, and Mercado’s fire and poise is on key the entire time, navigating the emotional divergences the narrative throws at her with total commitment.

Cura offers a lot of the film’s comedic facets through his performance as Thomas, an average Joe who thanks to his job and, well, being the son of Sonya’s agent, has placed him in the unique, um, position to end up spending a night with Sonya. His casual approach and completely innocent demeanor displayed while Sonya is in a state of general disbelief and mile apathy is charming while his continued initial (but again, delightfully so) ineptness to handle the situation leads to a series of moments where this changes to showcasing a man simply trying to BE a gentleman towards a woman, despite her resistance to it and her strong independent streak that seeks to push him away rather than allow him in. But, his persistence and undeniable wit might just end up winning the day. It’s Cura’s “everyman” persona and even look that allows this kind of role to work so well here as it wonderfully fits the story and makes his performance totally relatable and accessible to us as a viewer. It’s a tribute to something that is in apparently short supply these days….nice guys!

The primary supporting appearances are made by a cheerfully moody Pooky Quesnel as Lillian, Sonya’s rather high-strung manager/agent who also happens to be Thomas’ mother, a woman fit to be tied upon finding out about the pair’s night together, Colin Hoult as a local area pharmacist who ends up providing some timely advice to Sonya during a visit to his store, plus Natalia St. John-Porther and Ellie Uragallo as a pair of girls who get a bit more than they bargained for when choosing to cross Sonya in a bad way. So, in total, “My Eyes Are Up Here” is yet another jewel of indie film artistry that provides both smartly executed and written comedy with decisive and pertinent underlying thematic foundations that reaches us on that human level and will perhaps make us likewise take another look at how we view the world, what bona fide compatibility looks like, and why aiming to be a person of integrity (even if somewhat awkwardly so) is the best way to go.

As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!

 

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