Reviews On Demand: Alive (Short)

This review has been written on a special demand by Jimmy Olsson, the director of this short.

Year Of Release: 2020

Country: Sweden

Language: Swedish

*This review contains mild spoilers*

 

Plotline: –

Viktoria (Eva Johansson), a neuromuscular disorder patient expresses her desire of being loved after seeing her caretaker Ida (Madeleine Smith) with her boyfriend Bjorn (Joel Odmann). Ida creates a Tinder profile for her to cheer her up but how will both of them deal when the realisation of her physical disabilities kick in sooner or later?

 

What I liked about the film: –

Disabilities do not affect only the physical being of a person, they also rot him/her internally. But no matter the capabilities or the lack thereof, every person wants to be treated with respect and love, much like any other human being. Alive stands true to its name not only for its characters but also with its own soul. The yearn of Viktoria to feel loved like Ida did in her boyfriend’s arms is as natural as the soft ableism that the latter two have for her. But the film never gets harsh on Ida and Bjorn for having their own apprehensions (or even preconceptions) regarding her (Viktoria’s) tinder date because both identify the independence of the lady to make her own decisions even though her caretaker can’t help but see her as a child-like personality which stems from their dependent relationship. I personally loved how both these women have been written along with their friendship which is never strictly professional, helping them to poke fun at one another and even ask intimate questions. Despite its feel-good nature, Alive has a few disconcerting moments such as the parallel between Ida and Viktoria’s intimate lives and them being at loggerheads regarding the latter’s Tinder date, both which have been brilliantly acted by the actors and equally fabulously directed by Jimmy Olsson. No matter how well a cinematic work is made on all grounds, be it technical, or artistic, or script related, the acting defines its quality more than anything else. There’s everything right on the technical side for Alive be it the sleek cinematography, flawless editing, ominous score, or the sombre usage of lights. But nothing dominates over the performances of both of its female leads who charm you, dishearten you and consternate you along with their characters. Eva Johansson is flawless as the stuttering Viktoria and her depiction of the unfettering strength of her character and occasional showcasing of her pain is simply sterling. She is so natural and believable that if she stands upright in front of me speaking eloquently, I would be taken aback! Madeleine Smith may not have a sympathetic character like her co-star but in Ida she finds herself emoting equally vividly and not a single moment occurs when she makes you feel as if she is not supposed to be the short’s main lead. Joel Odmann might just have a few minutes of screentime but he knows how to charm his audiences very well.

 

My issues with the film: –

At the beginning of the short, we see Ida lowering Viktoria into a pool using a machine which hints at the relationship they both share and also on the level of dependency the latter has on her caretaker. On paper, this sounds really good but on the screen, for a couple of seconds and that too as the opening scene, I found it a bit odd. In case Olsson wanted to depict the relationship of our leads, he could have taken the routine way which is more relatable to any layman such as feeding, bathing, and the like. Apart from that, I felt that the ending was on too optimistic which created a feeling of emptiness arising from the lack of Hakan (Viktoria’s date) in the film. But then if you ask me I can’t think of anything better without being elaborative (runtime also matters for short films!) and anything less mushy wouldn’t have done justice to the movie’s title.

 

Final Verdict: –

Alive is beautiful even when it’s disconcerting. It’s excellent on almost all grounds of filmmaking but nothing tops the performances of Johansson and Smith who carry the weight of the entire film along with its message. I believe it can be made into a feature film and we can see more of the characters in a bigger plot and not just Viktoria or Ida. Only time and the success of this short will let us know if it ever happens but if it does, I hope that Olsson directs it.

 

RATING: 4/5