Hello Lonesome – from film-maker Adam Reid

Rating:

One of the most difficult things to do well in film is to tackle a film containing multiple stories. It is difficult to weave  multiple story lines together and create a unified result. More often than not, what  results in this style of film feels  put on. Frequently, the audience finds it difficult to follow the film’s story and  is left feeling lost. So, when Adam Reid attempts this style of film in his first feature Hello Lonesome and ends up with successful results, you have no choice but to take notice.

Hello Lonesome consists of three interwoven stories. While the stories themselves do not connect, each story contains the commonality of loneliness. In all, we meet six individuals, all seeking the same thing: to love and to be loved.

In the first story we meet Bill Soap (Harry Chase), a successful voice over artist who lives secluded in the country side. His only daily contact with the outside is Omar (Kamel Boutros), a delivery man who never knows what to expect on his deliveries to Bill’s home. Bill is attempting to make up for being an awful father to his estranged daughter by leaving a series of voice-mails ranging from apologetic to demanding and hurt. It truly seems that Bill has isolated himself and is alone in this world. Until one day he is rescued by a familiar face.

Eleanor (Lynn Cohen) is a suburban widow facing the indignities of old age (her drivers licence is revoked) and the loneliness of outliving her life partner. She is forced to rely on her much younger neighbor Gary (James Urbaniak) to carry out every day errands such as trips to the supermarket. As their friendship grows, they both find romance in the most surprising place.

Lastly we meet Gordon (Nate Smith urbanite), a single  in his late twenties, who is seeking companionship online, where else do you look in our digital age?  He meets Debby (Sabrina Lloyd) and the pair hit it off. Like the beginnings of any relationship, theirs is filled with euphoria, and the two quickly become inseparable.  But, when Debby receives some life changing news, their relationship is put to the test.

Adam Reid masterfully weaves together these three intertwining, but never connecting stories. When the films sifts between stories, each edit is clean and feels natural. You are taken back and forth and through the individual stories, without feeling choppy. Scott Rankin’s editing is that good.

While I enjoyed each performance in Hello Lonesome, Harry Chase’s portrayal of Bill Soap, the successful voice over artist, stands out. You can feel Bill’s pain as he realizes he has systematically ostracized himself from the only family he had–his daughter–his only possible friend the delivery man. In one of the final scenes of the film, Bill finds himself somewhat symbolically trapped in his home studio; his rescue seems bleak. You can feel the raw despair that Bill is having to face in what seem to be his final hours.  It is hard to believe this is Harry Chase’s first time in front of a camera.

While Harry Chase’s performance stands out, I fell in love with Lynn Cohen as Eleanor. Her character retains her spunk and love of life in spite of her feeling like her life is getting bleaker with each passing day. She has lived a full life and has experienced great love, but is still willing to put herself out there emotionally and experiences a very unusual and unexpected romance. Watching Lynn Cohen on screen is simply a pleasure.

Through out the film I found that I felt a connection and bond to each character. I wanted them all to find the happiness in the lives they were searching for. It is interesting to learn that the story of Gordon and Debby is based on the true story of Adam’s sister Lisa, who did in fact met her partner online and with him found herself facing the most difficult and life changing news.

I want to also mention the music in the film, which stood out as very fitting for each story. The music  plays an integral role in the film’s ability to keep the interweaving stories feeling connected. Many of the songs are performed by Jones Street Station, and Hello Lonesome’s original score was composed by Ted Gannon.

The opening and closing credits are done in the style that resembles of the game Life. A perfect, quirky introduction to a film that is essentially about life.

Hello Lonesome has remained my top pick from the narrative competition at the Los Angeles film festival. I have a hunch this is not that last time we will hear Adam Reid’s name.

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