Jake (Tyler Pistorius) appears to be down on his luck from the very beginning. With his papers soaked because of a broken brief case, he heads into a coffee shop to seek some respite from the rain. However, it quickly becomes apparent that this is not just a bad day for Jake but rather he is struggling with something much larger and more persistent. Having a similarly difficult night, Lauren (Kimberly Michelle Vaughn) finds herself in the same coffee shop after being stood up by her date. Consequently a connection from the past is rekindled.
As the pair begin to talk, it becomes clear Jake is reluctant to think of the past. He is painfully stuck in his present situation. Lauren, however, is more comfortable with nostalgia and she is able to raise the ghosts of happy memories from her friend’s mind. Jake’s stiff replies are often tinged with cynicism but he is never sardonic or mocking. Many people have probably come to understand Jake’s dry and occasionally self-deprecating humour as part of his personality. However is in fact hiding a deeply ingrained sense of insecurity and isolation, which Lauren realises and navigates with care.
Lauren tries to work through the hard exterior to find the person she remembers from college. The elevated language of the script is carried well by Vaughn and Pistorius, without compromising the authenticity of the characters. Despite the richness of certain phrases (such as the L.P Hartley quote ‘the past is a foreign country’) one repeated sentence stands out above the rest. “It doesn’t matter”. The juxtaposition between the simple construction of the phrase and the weight of meaning behind the words sums up the pervading feeling throughout A Missed Connection.
The visual styling and script contribute to a sense of poetical realism as Weinstein explores how the relationship with ourselves affects our relationships with others. Although the film deals with some darker themes, there is a focus (ironically) on the future; the hope that perhaps things can change. With a relationship from his past, Jake can start to rebuild himself in a more positive image while acting on feelings he was once too afraid to admit.
A Missed Connection brings together the richness of language and image, joining them together in a poetic reflection of life. Weinstein’s writing and directing elevates the narrative to another level.
Watch the trailer below!