Uber-fantastic foreign indie. move distributor Film Movement looks to Norway for the November selection for its exceptional Film of the Month Club. The 2013 drama "I Am Yours," which Movement is releasing on DVD on November 11 2014, depicts the struggles of 20-something aspiring Pakistani actress Mina trying to find true and proper love in Oslo. Her son Felix is the main complication regarding that quest.
Consistent with the opinions of Movement and scads o' online viewers, the insight that director/writer Iram Haq conveys is what rises "Yours" far above the Lifetime Movies that tackle the similar theme of a conflict between wanting to be a good mother to a loved child and desiring a solid relationship with a man who is not ready to be a father.
The following clip, courtesy of YouTube, of the particularly good trailer for "Yours" offers an accurate look at the spirit and themes of the film.
The brief but graphic NC-17 opening scene draws in the viewer by showing Mina deriving sexual gratification by using her computer to watch men using their webcams to broadcast their own sessions devoted to self-pleasure. Haq nicely includes other scenes that show the role of the Internet in locating partners and either maintaining relationships or finding gratification to varying degrees of immediacy. A hilarious such moment has an intimate Skype session being abruptly interrupted.
The audience is also soon introduced to Mina's demanding and overall difficult mother, who very vocally expresses her general disapproval regarding the lifestyle of her daughter and the alleged shame that such activity brings on the family.
On top of this, Mina clearly is very lonely during the periods that Felix lives with his father; not unexpectedly, this often leads to casual encounters that ultimately cause more distress than satisfaction.
A chance encounter with Swedish filmmaker Jesper, played by Ola Rapace of "Skyfall," in an Oslo store and a cute and charming subsequent conversation quickly leads to the start of what could be a beautiful friendship. Jesper initially seeming to be comfortable with Mina having a child is another good sign.
It is rather predictable that Mina visiting Jesper in Stockholm with Felix in tow complicates things. The issues extend beyond the presence of the young child limiting the opportunities for romantic moments to Felix cramping Jesper's style merely by being very dependent on Mina.
The film nicely depicts the incidents that build up the child-related tension between Mina and Jesper and the ultimate discussion of that topic. Further, every aspect of this part of the film seems realistic.
The true film magic in all this is that the audience truly feels for Mina despite her having a good kid and a better life than many of us. We do root for her and feel her pain when things go awry.
The well-matched bonus short film that is standard for Club selections is a cute Australian movie titled "The Amber Amulet." This one has the 10-year-old Masked Avenger using various elements in his effort to improve the lives of those around him.
The "villain" that our hero faces in this one is his mother, who suspects him of stealing a family heirloom that he gives to a neighbor in distress. The final scene in this 23-minute presentation ties everything together nicely and is one of the best ever film finales.
Anyone with questions regarding "Yours" or "Amulet" is encouraged to email me. You can also connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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