directed by:
Ryan Nunes written by: Ryan Nunes genre: Drama |
I think of all things - what hits you right away when you're watching "A Beautiful Day" is how crisp and clear the filming is, which is certainly a great pairing when you consider the title. The colour pops as you're introduced to the two characters that will fuel this short film by writer/director Ryan Nunes. There's not a whole lot of "gimmickry" in "A Beautiful Day," which is really a dialogue/character-driven type of story, but for what it's worth, I felt like this moment was shot & directed in the right way, absolutely.
Ultimately, we're watching a conversation between two strangers on a park bench during one of their lunch breaks. You'll meet Charlie and another woman whose name we don't actually get until the credits – her name is Dorothy. I'll do the best I can to not give too much away on why that is for the moment, but understand there's no real way to talk about the impact of what Nunes has created without a few spoilers to be had as this review carries on. For now, I'll tell ya that these two characters are outside on "A Beautiful Day" and enjoying the kind of honest conversations you don't quite find as much as you want to these days. Ryan has done an exceptional job of getting this short film moving quickly and finding the right approach to make it move you quickly. As Dorothy explains the details of her working day and memories of being younger, you feel like you instantly relate to so much of what she has to say, and it makes sense to us as to why Charlie is so willing to continue having this open & honest conversation with a lady - that has just sat down on a park bench only moments ago. I'll be honest: at first, I wasn't all that sure we weren't in store for some kind of anti-smoking PSA, but I'm happy to report that "A Beautiful Day" is not that at all. When Dorothy sat down and immediately wanted to light one up - in the middle of this stunning & sweet outside setting, you'll see what I mean – "A Beautiful Day" could have gone in that direction, but it heads towards its deeper message and meaning right from the moment they start to chat. The details in this conversation are wonderful – I think that Ryan nailed the dialogue, and he found a remarkable way of telling this short story in the time that he used. You'll find that Nunes has cast this film exceptionally well, too – both Jennifer Drummond (Dorothy) and Dhanya Lott (Charlie) do a stellar job of getting right into their roles, and as a result, the ensuing conversation is as convincing as it is charming, sweet, and deeply personal. Okay…so…spoiler alert AND trigger warnings for this next part y'all. It'd be very hard to dance around the subject of what "A Beautiful Day" is really all about, if not outright impossible, but it's also unfair to discuss this film without addressing what makes it as great as it is…and important. You'll notice in the conversation between Charlie and Dorothy that they make a lot of references to their family along the way, and the more they continue on, the more these two strangers seem to find in common with each other. Closer to the end, the conversation turns towards the topic of dementia, and Nunes will go on to reveal just how brutal it can be as this story unfolds by the most delicate and devastating of means. You'll hear the sorrow in Charlie as she expresses the profound loss she's experienced, and you'll hear the wise words of Dorothy as she imparts the wisdom of an older generation that has been through so much of what her new friend seems to be struggling with. Ultimately, therein lies the toughest parts of "A Beautiful Day" as we start to realize through hints and clues that this pair of seeming strangers might actually be a whole lot closer than we thought they were at first. There's a good chance that "A Beautiful Day" will end up exactly where you were starting to suspect it might by the time it's all over – but credit where credit is due, Nunes keeps the biggest surprise under wraps until the precise moment where we figure it out for ourselves. Personally, I love that kind of clever writing & filmmaking – it's not easy to know where that point in a story is to reveal its biggest secret, and Ryan has found the perfect time to let us in on what we start to realize - was taking place on the inside of this conversation.
What is…jeez…for lack of a better way to put it, completely, totally, and utterly heartbreaking…is how Ryan approaches the black hole we've come to label as dementia and shows us how horrifying the effects of it can be. Why is this potentially triggering, you ask? It's simple – the accuracy with which he portrays the disease. For anyone out there, like myself, who is currently witnessing a family member try to battle this undefeated enemy, it's one of the hardest things you'll ever have to go through. You go from moments of complete clarity to others that are so lost in the fog that you think they'll never come back from it, and right back to lucidity again…back & forth, back & forth…all without any warning as to which comes next - or when. What makes things even more insightful (and yes, excruciating to experience) in this film is how Nunes shows you exactly how 'out of it' a person can be while still delivering some of the highest quality advice, guidance, comfort, and love you can possibly conceive of. But that's exactly how sick and twisted this disease truly is…it can take those you love and turn them into complete strangers. You might still love meeting and talk to that person as the stranger they've become, but there's no doubt that they're no longer the person you once knew…and that can be among the toughest things we'll ever have to endure in the entire experience of living our lives. It's endlessly amazing to me that we can still hear the words we need to hear so badly for comfort from someone that we don't even really know at all, but that's the honest truth & "A Beautiful Day" proves that in a variety of ways. In fact, the best advice we can be given usually seems to come completely outta left field in many cases…and I'd have to imagine that if you asked Charlie about what she hears from Dorothy about how to go about coping with & healing from the effects of how dementia destroys those we truly love, she'd be the first to tell you that she wouldn't have expected the advice to come from the stranger she's been sitting with on a random park bench on "A Beautiful Day" outside during someone's smoke break. Trust me when I tell ya, everything I've been trying to steer clear of spoiler-wise will all become clear as you watch this film – Ryan hasn't left anything out, and you'll know what I've been talkin' about as soon as you see it for yourselves. I want to shout out one last cast member – Nancy Gair – you'll meet her before this film wraps up, and while her time is short, she's there for what's arguably the most crucial part of the whole story…so pay attention. She's effective to the point where she might just bring you to tears, and she's an essential character who is key to understanding the full scope of what this film is trying so successfully to communicate to you. Up until you meet her, it's only been gradually implied that you might meet her at all…but once you meet her, the full gravity of this story comes crashing down on you like a ton of bricks, and rightfully so. Nancy brings this whole tale together seamlessly through the lens of Nunes and the attention to detail he puts into "A Beautiful Day." I'm going with a highly commendable four stars out of five…this delicate story of the effects of dementia is one that you're sure to remember. |
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