MOVIE REVIEW: DISTANT TALES

Distant Tales is an interesting film. It is both a psychological drama but also a psychological thriller. It’s an anthology that is set at the height of the global COVID pandemic. Though the event is never actually named all the context clues of that time are there: symptoms, vaccines, BLM riots, social distancing, masking, protests and more are in evidence which will keep this film from being evergreen but it is a focussed look at what we here in America lived through.

The main thrust of the film is seeing how a broad spectrum of people are dealing with both the realities of the pandemic and the enforced isolation that was in place during that time. Anyone interested in human behavior under duress will find this to be a fascinating character study. The varied perspectives definitely reflect the many reactions observed during that time as citizens coped as best they could under conditions never before experienced in this country.

I wonder how things might have been different in the time before the internet age after watching this. In each vignette the protagonists reach out to others the only way they can, via the net. With our current technology you could not just speak to others but actually see their faces, something which was denied to us with the mask mandates. Humans crave that in our interactions, all those nonverbal cues that are a large part of our communication beyond speech. That need for personal connection is so desperately evident in this film.

The mandatory isolation has a number of negative effects on the principal characters involved. We observe how those who are completely alone turn inward, to devour themselves in their own miseries, while others reach out for connection, and others chafe under the close proximity of family without any break. None of these things makes these characters bad people mind you, most are sympathetic in one way or another, though some were far less forgivable. You can see how the sensation of being trapped with no clear end of the ordeal in sight is breaking down the characters.

Some become trapped in their personal bubbles, reinforcing unhealthy biasies. Others defy social and personal conduct to their detriment, while others have their mental trauma exacerbated to extreme levels. It’s both a fascinating and terrifying journey to take but it’s not all gloom and doom. There is strength to be found in struggle if one can bear it. There is even a conspiratorial subplot that takes up the narrative of social experimentation and engineering along with some MK Ultra style mind control. I’ll give the film this, they really did cover every point of view, so bravo!

The acting is absolutely top notch! Each performer delivers. Seriously, they all shine! That is incredibly impressive to me as this film isn’t filled with big names. Heck I’m only somewhat familiar with Ben Bowen and Christopher Curry but no is out of step or outshines the others. I really have to hand it to these folks, they sold me on each of their individual stories. Each character was so genuinely authentic it was easy to imagine I was observing private Zoom calls between real people. Bravo once again!

Not too much can be said about camera work, sound or production given the limited setting. I did appreciate that the character of Seraphina was always set against a black background. A nice little hint at what’s going on with her versus everyone else in the movie. Celine’s segment gives us the best look into the home life of one of the characters and the set decor adds a great deal of insight into her life. In fact, despite the story-driven limitations, each character’s room establishes a part of their character or history, such as Cameron’s empty white room with his hanging military jacket and distant portrait of his son, or Rohit being forced to communicate in the bathroom while his kids are noisily playing on the other side of the door.

Distant Tales is a well crafted and extremely well acted film. For drama fans there is a lot to be had here and I highly recommend it. I love being exposed to the small films that punch so hard above their weight class!

5 out of 5