30-Love

High energy film, about a man who loses his wife in childbirth, with a baby left in his care, alone and bewildered. Kelly's husband emotes through his obsession with winning tennis tournaments, spins out of control to the brink of insanity. To succeed is to prove his love for her, if not to anyone, but himself. His attempt to win back her life through his success is his undoing. This film's abstract twist on grief and its overwhelming emotions explodes in the face of familial ties, enduring friendships, and professional advice. The lack of close bonding with an innocent infant, is the heart-wrenching counterpoint to the husband's wild obsession to win.

Good film for students, social networking groups, parents, and family therapists . . . it delves into the subconscious mind of grief; how closing off emotions can go crazily awry, and leave devastating consequences for everyone left behind.

This nuanced film really struck a chord with me. Without ruining a good review with spoilers, I do not think that it is not too much information to share that the film shows a man spiraling through the various emotional depths of his personal grieving process. At the start there is a scene that makes the viewer question (along with the protagonist and his best friend) whether or not there is a "right" way to grieve. We never really get an answer. Instead, this film produces an emotionally nuanced and character-driven plot that allows us as the audience understand the sometimes conflicting emotions that bubble-up within a person when grieving. Also, this film develops into a story about who and what we turn to, and turn into, as we are changed by the experience of deep loss. Robert Cannon's ability to portray the simultaneously conflicting emotions of sorrow, anger, despair, hope, love, and even at times joy in the midst of grief truly speaks to the complexities of the grieving experience. The best friend of the protagonist, and what I'm tempted to call the bro-with-a-heart-of-gold, is played by Mark Gagliardi. However, this sometimes comical "bro" character proves more complex than just a stereotype. The best friend character in this film is also a delightfully complicated character that provides several moments of comic relief throughout the film while never becoming the archetypal fool. By the end of the film viewers never really get an answer about whether or not there is a "right" way to grieve. Without giving away too many specifics of the plot, I must say that the ending of the film left me feeling both profoundly hopeful and uncomfortable. This is anything but a cliché sports film. Nor is it a typical love, loss, or family drama. This film truly calls to mind the subtleties of that old French phrase: C'est la vie.

"30-love" is dramatic, touching, and sometimes funny with the cutest baby ever in its cast. I can appreciate that it's not a happy story; it's real-life and it's a story that perhaps needs to be told for the sake of those that reach for the stars but feel such a struggle to get off the ground even on their best days.

"30-Love" is an unusually strong independent film from first time director Robert Cannon. The film chronicles the misguided effort of a man who loses his wife in childbirth to work out his grief in an obsessive attempt to win a tennis tournament. Strong acting and cinematography as well as a driving musical background all contribute to the overall effectiveness of the film. Although there are several slow spots along the way, the story ends on a creepy and almost horrific note of ambiguity and the viewer is left disturbed and unsettled.

I'm a fan of small indie movies and this is a good one. While is focuses on a man's obsession with succeeding in a sport, it certainly goes in a different direction from any sports movie you've seen. The main character's striving in tennis in his grief for his late wife, even as he neglects his infant child, is disturbing to watch. Though shot on a tiny budget, the film is stylishly directed, expertly photographed and edited, and features a terrific use of background music. It is also good to see Brenda Vaccaro back on the big screen in a key role in this film.