Unaligned – Short Film Review

 

With strong performances from Kate (Tammie Bergholdt) and Christy (Hollie Shay), Marko Grujic’s story is carried with conviction. One of the most unique aspects of the film is that Grujic doesn’t spend time navigating the characters’ self-discovery as many LGBT short films do. Instead, he jumps straight in with the action. In a way, it is refreshing to see a lesbian relationship allowed to exist as if it were the norm. By not acknowledging the difficulties LGBT characters may have to face, I feel that the film doesn’t pretend they don’t exist but instead is showing a progressive move to normalise non-heterosexual relationships. In any film that centralises gay characters, I find myself waiting for the heckling and abuse that is still sadly a part of life for many people however this film is very much an insulated depiction of Kate and Christy’s relationship.

Gruic’s transition from the two women being old friends to lovers is communicated with a deft sequence. The growing passion between them is presented without need for words as the intimate act of Christy drawing Kate falls gracefully into physical intimacy. The sequence is soft with its cross fade transitions and this marks the beginning of their relationship. The intimate emotions evoked by the previous scene are immediately juxtaposed, however, as we cut one of Chrissy’s college frat parties, where she has brought Kate as her date.

So begins the series misalignments that makes you wonder how and why they got together in the first place. The first misalignment: age. Kate is older than Christy and consequently doesn’t fit in so well around Christy’s college friends. Similarly, Kate’s formal work dinner and the small talk with colleagues is not the type of event that Christy wants to attend. There follows misalignment in their interests; Kate wants to stay in, Christy wants to go out. Interspersed within these scenes of fracture are moments of genuine contentment and what seems like an honest relationship. This allows the audience to make their own judgements about the relationship and its quality. However, trust proves to be the pivotal misalignment in their relationship.

The film carries its central theme without becoming predictable or clichéd and the ending is interesting in the fact that it could potentially be the beginning of something new (or perhaps the beginning of another cycle of misalignment). Marko Grujic has directed a compelling and well thought out story of love and loss, fitting a lot of feelings inside a short space of time.

The film ‘Unaligned’ is available to watch now on YouTube!