"a script worth considering..."

It doesn’t take much for a human soul to fall apart in an instant. The life-long suppression of feelings and thoughts would inevitably get out of control when events reach a point of no return. In a Freudian observation of the earliest memories, one would realize that childhood is indeed the patrimony of our lives. Therefore, adulthood is only a consequence–the critical years intend to tell the individual that they need to part ways with their parents at one point. Thus, films and art, in general, have always nurtured the poignant idea of parenthood. Refractions happens in a short span and tells the story of Jade, a young woman who finds herself caught in a whirlwind. She has a lot going on in her life, but this particular time the situation reaches a point of no return. Amid the pregnancy testing and the unanswered calls and messages, Jade gets a visit from her mother. Margaret, or Margias Jade calls her, is met with antagonism as soon as she steps foot inside the bathroom. She has a lot to blame Margaret, and anger fills the voids in-between them. On the opposite, the mother has a calming, wise approach. Thus, it's not enough, as Jade's words have immense consequences. When she has confessed about all of her childhood wounds, Jade suddenly becomes alone. There’s no one in the bathroom opposite of her.The most exciting thing regarding the concept is the dynamics of storytelling. The story starts on a high note, and it manages to maintain anticipation throughout. The context is given nuance at first, only to be fully revealed later. Refractions is a case of a three-act structure, and thus it’s evident that the author uses its every advantage.Short films tend to be more challenging in terms of the structure and dramaturgy, only because they are limited with time. However, Refractions successfully avoids the traps of the short format, as it knows how to navigate from the very start. Jade being alone in a desperate situation, provides immense possibilities. Even from reading the script, one could imagine the stunning visuals, the production design, the colours and the acting.Thus, that's mostly because the writer uses techniques that are closer to literature as an art. On the one hand, the script relies on the film language, but on the other, it includes dialogue-driven moments as well. The mother-daughter confrontation is tense not only because of the dialogue but because of the limitations of time and space. The author successfully uses the limited space of the bathroom. Jade couldn't escape Margaret even if she wanted to. The dialogue makes an intriguing symbiosis with the picture when the flashback tools are being introduced. The overlapping of voice-over, and the ellipsis between one memory and another work as poetry. Refractions is a character-oriented story; the audience would have a challenging job to choose a side even if they want to. Thus, one thing is for sure–they wouldn’t be left indifferent by all means. The poignant relationship between the mother and the daughter is fascinating, but on the other hand, it could be considered too much on-the-nose.While the twist is the unique selling point, the third act is where the storytelling gets expanded. The scenes at the chapel are only a confirmation of Jade's relationship with her mother. For example, the Older Woman at the chapel tells information that is already delivered previously. The only difference is that the subtext was kept subtle during their conflict, and in the aftermath, the message becomes too apparent. Even without theOlder Woman's dialogue lines, and her overall existence, the message would be delivered to the audience.The tension that the protagonist feels should drop away earlier when she sees Emily. Emily could be the silver lining to Jade's despair–the images in the chapel lobby are a quiet catharsis to what has been a loud basic dramatic situation. Refractions has many strengths, and with all stated above, it's a script worth considering. Its basic dramatic situation, key plot points, and most importantly, the overall concept have the potential to attract producers and production companies. Thus, the author should consider if this needs to be a commercial project; therefore, they need to find collaborators that would give the writer/director artistic freedom. Stories of this kind may come from a personal place, and thus the execution needs to be respectful towards the writing.

The Golden Script Review