Ruturaj Dhalgade's Amidst My Own is a dreamy film that delves into the possibilities of a parallel reality- the idea that if we just look inward, we can find solutions to outside problems within ourselves.
The feature film, set in the leafy suburbs of Los Angeles, California, is a 2020 indie that explores the love and strife of three characters intertwined in a triangle. The love story is told in a suspenseful tale that develops progressively throughout the film.
Amidst My Own centers around the love life of Emily, played by the charismatic Amy Hamill, highlighting the strife in the toxic relationship she has with her boyfriend Logan (Martin Harris). Amy is constantly torn between what’s best for her and her profound love for Logan, however badly he treats her.
This situation is made even worse with the entry of Sameer (Shekhar Rahate) into her life, an honest, non-descript Indian-American man who chauffeurs Logan around the city. Sameer shares an uncanny, almost psychic connection with Emily, one filled with attraction, compassion and mutual sentiments. Rahate's performance becomes more and more endearing and his character grows on you the deeper the film goes. It is this huge decision that Emily has to make in her life; allow herself to fall in love with the kind-hearted chauffeur or remain in a toxic relationship with her promiscuous boyfriend, Logan.
Dhalgade's direction steers clear of Disney cliches and happily-ever-afters, choosing instead to tackle the cold, hard truth, without splitting facts or including promises of shiny endings. Dhalgade delivers by pushing his main character Emily to keep making choices that could break her. While this is not a big budget movie, one of the most significant redeeming qualities of the film is the solid camerawork by cinematographer Kalpak Pathak and the creative directing of Dhalgade. The film uses smart establishing shots to place the audience into the film. The editor Vraj Kaniyawala, cleverly uses slow, romantic music and reverb to set apart dreams from real life.
Take a road trip with Amidst My Own and explore along the way what a genuine connection between two people can lead to.
Comentarios