The Crushes
★★★★
Directed by: Eugenii Baranov
Written by: Larisa Martseva
Starring: Tina Carol, Mykhail Pshenichny, Kyryl Dytsevich
Short Film Review by: #Stefania
The crushes is written by Larisa Martseva and directed by Eugenii Baranov
Anna is lying in bed with her new boyfriend who asks her how many men she had before. Suddenly the spirit of her ex-husband appears and starts blaming her.
Anna understands she’s the only one that can see the ghost while her boyfriend can’t realize who is she talking to. Then she enters the corridor, filled with the spirits of her crushes, trying to figure out what is going on.
Life has a way of answering questions you didn’t even ask. From being the recipient and the creator of a heartbeat, to cyclically selecting the wrong type, to over expectation, to self-doubt, to romantic bliss…
Most of the times just because you are available for a relationship doesn’t mean you are ready for one. Yet, life is too short to not kick fear in the ass and allow yourself to love again, over and over. And it seems that’s what the main character of the film, did. We meet Anna’s exes while their ghosts constantly appear talking to her, walking through her flat as if it was their home, engaged in their own business.
I was very delighted to discover the director’s intention of pointing out the emotions by alternating the extremely noisy scenes with the ones where the sound was missing. Also, he kept the pain in the spotlight by having some of the characters injured, yet acting as if they felt nothing. Behavior is math and it seems he paid attention to what it reveals and inserted sparks of funny and ironic gestures that will definitely put a smile on your face.
Endless love is fueled by endless friendship, they say, and in a very weird way Anna’s ex lovers seem to be friends, as they sit all together and eat the same dish, in her living room.
Just think of how liberating it would feel to have a funeral for past relationships and dramas. To look back and give the past its proper recognition. To reflect upon what you can learn from your experiences; the good, the bad, the pretty, the ugly. To learn and move on. To let go.
Anna manages to get rid of spirits only when she says to them that they mean nothing for her and that she wants to be alone.
The film is so intense and unpredictable that you will love watching every second of it. It reminds you that the love of your life is out there… but it won’t just drop on your lap.
You have to enjoy the journey and you’ll cross paths with the love that’s worthy of your story.
