April 26, 2024
FILM: THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED
DIRECTED BY: JOANNA ARNOW
STARRING: JOANNA ARNOW, SCOTT COHEN, BABAK TAFTI
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
The title of this film pretty much sums up what may be going through the mind of 33-year-old Ann in The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed. The character has been in a sexual relationship with Allen for nine years yet they know almost nothing about each other. Rather, theirs is a connection built on mostly unsatisfying BDSM encounters. It is Ann’s choice to take on the submissive role yet everything else about her seems flat and indifferent to the world around her.
The film was written and directed by its star, Joanna Arnow who is fearless in what she reveals about herself on screen. Her body is unclothed for a good portion of the film. Ann doesn’t seem to have an issue with the sexual appetite she has which includes having other men as “masters” including one of them who enjoys seeing her humiliated in a pig costume. The fact is though that Ann doesn’t seem at all effected by any of this. She seems to want something more in her life but has grown used to the routine of her sexual encounters, her almost obsolete job, her small barren apartment with dead plants and food out of sealed bags, and her vaguely communicative parents who at one point seem to get some satisfaction out of singing a pro-union song.
All of this may sound dark and dreary and on one level it really is pretty sad. Arnow seems to be wondering if 33 is in fact too late to really change one’s life. For much of the film she doesn’t seem to evolve. However, at the encouragement of friends she does go on a dating app and meets a guy named Chris (Babak Tafti) who seems to want more out of a relationship than just sex. Is it too late for Ann? Is she so locked into her habits and preferences that she remains unable to truly commit to change?
The film can be a frustrating watch. Viewers might want to scream at the screen and tell Ann to move on. Yet there is some very dry humor here that wasn’t quite plentiful enough for me but some people might find pretty hilarious. It depends on one’s appetite for watching a woman wandering through her life without much visible passion.
Arnow captures the character’s sensibility with a lot of subtlety. Where Ann really does come to life though, albeit briefly, is in the scenes with Chris. A completely different side of the character shines through. Chris is a bit baffled by some of it yet remains pretty committed to whatever Ann is. Their connection does allow for some growth…perhaps.
It should be pointed out that the film has been described as a bit mosaic and I’d say that is pretty accurate. Scenes remain on screen for sometimes seconds or only a few short minutes. They are clipped and pretty fast moving. Each shot reflects a lot of detail about the characters and they never overstay their welcome. As such the film does not feature a recognizable classical Hollywood narrative. Rather this is the kind of provocative production that gathers a lot of attention at film festivals and art house cinemas. There is something to be said about that. These are the places where original films like this can find a small audience looking for something unencumbered by narrative clichés and characters. Ann is a unique one for sure but she likely will resonate with a lot of women.
The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed opens in limited release today
FILM: THE FEELING THAT THE TIME FOR DOING SOMETHING HAS PASSED
DIRECTED BY: JOANNA ARNOW
STARRING: JOANNA ARNOW, SCOTT COHEN, BABAK TAFTI
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
The title of this film pretty much sums up what may be going through the mind of 33-year-old Ann in The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed. The character has been in a sexual relationship with Allen for nine years yet they know almost nothing about each other. Rather, theirs is a connection built on mostly unsatisfying BDSM encounters. It is Ann’s choice to take on the submissive role yet everything else about her seems flat and indifferent to the world around her.
The film was written and directed by its star, Joanna Arnow who is fearless in what she reveals about herself on screen. Her body is unclothed for a good portion of the film. Ann doesn’t seem to have an issue with the sexual appetite she has which includes having other men as “masters” including one of them who enjoys seeing her humiliated in a pig costume. The fact is though that Ann doesn’t seem at all effected by any of this. She seems to want something more in her life but has grown used to the routine of her sexual encounters, her almost obsolete job, her small barren apartment with dead plants and food out of sealed bags, and her vaguely communicative parents who at one point seem to get some satisfaction out of singing a pro-union song.
All of this may sound dark and dreary and on one level it really is pretty sad. Arnow seems to be wondering if 33 is in fact too late to really change one’s life. For much of the film she doesn’t seem to evolve. However, at the encouragement of friends she does go on a dating app and meets a guy named Chris (Babak Tafti) who seems to want more out of a relationship than just sex. Is it too late for Ann? Is she so locked into her habits and preferences that she remains unable to truly commit to change?
The film can be a frustrating watch. Viewers might want to scream at the screen and tell Ann to move on. Yet there is some very dry humor here that wasn’t quite plentiful enough for me but some people might find pretty hilarious. It depends on one’s appetite for watching a woman wandering through her life without much visible passion.
Arnow captures the character’s sensibility with a lot of subtlety. Where Ann really does come to life though, albeit briefly, is in the scenes with Chris. A completely different side of the character shines through. Chris is a bit baffled by some of it yet remains pretty committed to whatever Ann is. Their connection does allow for some growth…perhaps.
It should be pointed out that the film has been described as a bit mosaic and I’d say that is pretty accurate. Scenes remain on screen for sometimes seconds or only a few short minutes. They are clipped and pretty fast moving. Each shot reflects a lot of detail about the characters and they never overstay their welcome. As such the film does not feature a recognizable classical Hollywood narrative. Rather this is the kind of provocative production that gathers a lot of attention at film festivals and art house cinemas. There is something to be said about that. These are the places where original films like this can find a small audience looking for something unencumbered by narrative clichés and characters. Ann is a unique one for sure but she likely will resonate with a lot of women.
The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed opens in limited release today