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AVIVA
Director: Boaz Yakin Cast: Zina Zinchenko, Bobbi Jene Smith, Tyler Phillips, Or Schraiber, Omri Drumlevich, Mouna Soualem, Annie Rigney, Isaias Santamaria, Lorenzo Jackson, Yiannis Logothetis, Joaquim de Santana, Daniel Staaf MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:56 Release Date: 6/12/20 (virtual cinema); 6/19/20 (wider virtual cinema) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | June 18, 2020 Mixing the representational with the presentational, writer/director Boaz Yakin's Aviva examines a passionate and then troubled romance by way of straightforward drama, characters played by multiple actors, some realistic sex scenes, and dance. The movie's style, although consistently fascinating, also makes for plenty of frustration. The two lovers are Eden (Tyler Phillips and Bobbi Jene Smith), who lives in New York City, and Aviva (Zina Zinchenko and Or Schraiber), who lives in Paris. They're introduced by a mutual friend and start an email correspondence, which eventually leads to Aviva moving to New York. The trouble arises on account of their differing personalities, their unwillingness to be as open in person as they were online, and some lingering baggage from previous romantic relationships. There is nothing special or unique about the generalities of this tale, but at the start, we're introduced to Smith, who announces she's an actor playing a man who will also be played by Phillips, a man (The same goes for the portrayal of Aviva). In the process, Yakin silently announces that his movie is one of dualities, and that concept expands to include the narrative—which moves from the past (juxtaposed montages of the main characters' lives from childhood to their meeting), to the present, and to the future (shown in two one-takes, as both versions of Eden pantomime an affair that has yet to happen) without worrying about dramatic progression—and the presentation of the story. The most notable element of the presentation comes in the form of interludes focusing on dance (In another kind of duality, the main actors are primarily dancers by trade). A night out for Eden becomes a rhythmic mating ritual, and a wedding reception is a joyous jig for everyone but the male iteration of Eden. In an empty space, the female version of Eden dances with the male version of Aviva, while their counterparts are otherwise occupied. The result is, not only dual personalities, but also dueling personalities. It makes for some tantalizing ideas about psychology and societal expectations about gender, but Yakin's exploration of those concepts is definitely hindered by framing them within such a clichéd story. Maybe, though, the surface-level story of Aviva only feels generic because it is restricted by the filmmaker's various tricks, gimmicks, and flourishes. The movie, then, feels as if it's dueling with itself—and constantly losing. Copyright © 2020 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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