With an outburst of blockbuster releases this month, from GoT’s final season to Avengers Endgame, it’s easy to get caught up in the headiness and trend of it all.
For those that want to cozy up in their blankets to watch a chilled-out film that doesn’t necessarily fall into the blockbuster range, but still wish to see a familiar face here and there, indie film ‘Before We Go’ (directed by Chris Evans) is a perfect excuse for a night in away from the chilly Autumn breeze.
‘Before We Go’ was initially released in 2015. Amidst all the blockbusters of ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, ‘Star Wars: Force Awakens’ and ‘Hunger Games: Mockingjay’, it was almost expected that it wouldn’t have its name slapped up as the first poster you see when you head into cinemas. Marketing for the movie was sparse, and comments on the trailer were less than hyped. Having made its first world premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival before being released to the US and other countries in 2015, it could only be reasoned that Evan’s directorial debut didn’t need to attract such large-scale media popularity. The film only needed to perform for its niche audience of wide-eyed film savvy fans who watched the indie for its cinematography and depth. It was a channel for Evans to show that not only does he have the acting chops for Captain America, but also a creativity that reaches to the less noisy parts of the industry.
The film starts off simply enough, with a bustling scene of working people jostling along the metropolitan streets and Grand Central Station in daily life. The hand-held camera work offers a sense of realism into the single string of moments between people – of a couple dancing by the open area of the station, or young lovers splayed by the corner laughing and talking, or ticketholders going about their night shift. The shakiness of the camera shot and its quick disorganised panning to different scenes captures a sense of using a looking glass, where the viewer is just another observer, a passing stranger content to just watch the world unfold before them. The acoustic, long-drawn ensemble of Aidan Hawken’s ‘Into the Sea’ drifts in and out of non-diegetic melody, between the bustling coats of people until it echoes its sing-song throughout the train station, burying itself in every corner and curling unto itself in the hearts of passerbys.
It is only when the soundtrack fades that the story begins.
A chance encounter at Grand Central Station between strangers, musician Nick Vaughan (Chris Evans) and art consultant Brooke Dalton (Alice Eve), begins with icy distrust but soon blossoms into a midnight escapade of teaching one another a lesson and acceptance for their own personal struggles. Towards the end, the pair parts with a kiss goodbye back at the train station and both characters drift back into their normal lives.
If indie films could adopt a ‘specific’ mood, ‘Before We Go’ would be the forefront image. It is a film of quiet subtlety, opting for natural lighting and colours from the glow of traffic stream lights at night over high-end, starkly contrasting vibrant reds. Even in the tense and breath-holding moments when Brooke confides in Nick about her husband’s infidelity, Evans is able to capture the buzzing of emotional turmoil beneath the character’s skin, much like how we feel personally when we don’t voice our reaction but feel the impact nonetheless.
Being a film aiming to offer the most precise reflection of adulthood in a nutshell, Brooke Dalton achieves this with exceptional character arc. Brooke is simultaneously cautious yet willing to trust when given the opportunity, compassionate yet cruel in her words when she spirals out of control, and desiring of affection when she absolutely loathes it. The struggle of discovering her husband’s infidelity and her instinct to “smash him” is trumped by her looming identity of having been the girl who wishes to give herself a chance at love and stick through the ugly faces that can manifest in marriage. Eve plays her role with seamless quality, bleeding authenticity into the character, from the small twitches of annoyance to the tears that fall from her eyes in a manner that is non-invasive to viewers. Eve recognises the subtle quietness of the film and delivers her performance with connections that are sparked through the little moments, as opposed to romantic dramas that fill the room with loud wails of broken hearted women.
With a character as complex as Brooke, it’s easy for Nick to be painted as the ‘better half’ of the pair. He resembles the archetypal depiction of that nice guy that wishes to play the hero with an almost – almost – narcissistic shrug and a smug smile. However, he falls short of this standard because he is a broke jazz player that probably lives off a few coins here and there and ends up wandering the streets alone with Brooke because that’s the least he could do. Besides being burdened by his unrequited love for his ex-girlfriend who has now moved on to another man, he is quick to offer advice but unable to dish it on himself. With a bigger-than-life optimistic view, he is still the frail, tiny Steve Rogers that got beat up in the corner alleyway before becoming Captain America. It’s either that Evans seems to have experience with these sorts of characters, or that he is able to capture this particular character arc with because of his talented performance skills. Perhaps, though, the film would benefit from zooming in on the flaws of his character to heighten the connection with the audience. There is no connection when viewers can’t identify with an all-around nice guy. We all have our flaws, and so should the characters.
Nonetheless, ‘Before We Go’ is a film made for melancholic adventurers. Chris Evans ties together a unified artwork that pulses with heartbreak, sadness and the odd beautiful moments we discover with the most unexpected people at such an absurd time and place in our lives. We are pushed to ponder the idea that maybe we are all bound to cross-paths with a particular person that plays a crucial role in our lives - teaching us about ourselves if we happen to open our hearts more and look a little bit closer.
