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| Image Courtesy of ITN/B22 |
What is the meaning of life? What is the purpose of exploration of the unknown? These two questions have been the foundation of heavy themed science fiction films since the genre's inception. Brett Bentman's latest feature film, Lifeforms takes these grand concepts and distills them into a microcosm of human emotion. A chamber piece with profound notions and ominous implications, this is a story both about embracing destiny and learning to let things go. Featuring a trio of powerful performances, memorable visuals, and Bentman's careful attention to detail, this is one of his strongest offerings thus far.
Matthew is an astronaut who undertakes a dangerous mission
into the far reaches of space, both to confront his father's legacy but also to
explore regions of creation that have never been seen by human eyes. In
the wake of a tragic turn, Matthew must not only confront the ghosts and loves
of his past, he must also make an impossible choice. Bentman's script is
perhaps one of his most deceptive. What initially appears as a story
about love and space exploration quickly (the film has a sparse 70-minute
runtime) reveals itself to be a meditation on paternal relationships and the
price of following one's dreams. Ryan T. Johnson stars as Matthew and his
performance is interesting because he has not only the lion's share of the
dialogue, but is also constrained inside a single location for almost the
entire film. Darcy Doyle co-stars as Robin, Matthew's one true love who
is left behind in favor of the mission. Their chemistry is natural,
completely organic and this grounds the narrative in plausible emotion.
Todd Gable gives a surprisingly poignant turn as Matthew's father, perhaps a
ghostly apparition or perhaps a manifestation of grief, or worse, perhaps
something of extraterrestrial design. These three actors bolster the
material through body language and a deft understanding of the implications
creating an ethos around Bentman's central provocation.
This is a unique approach to this kind of story. One of the many creative
flourishes involved how Bentman treats the omnipotent AI and this is one of the
story's best surprises. Bentman's frequent collaborator, Scott Ross,
lenses the action with a quiet sense of observation, putting the viewer into an
almost godlike point of view as the story progresses from Earth, to Ship, to
Space. While comparisons to the greats are unavoidable, inspiration is
where these comparisons end and where Bentman's true intentions begin.
Life is a messy, complex journey and oftentimes, things do not work out the way
we intended. The sign of true wisdom is not only understanding
this, but also learning to let go of the past and embrace the future, something
which is often more terrifying than the blackness of space itself.
Coming soon to digital streaming, Lifeforms is a wonder of independent filmmaking that asks big questions and delivers simple, succinct, and touching answers about the nature of family and love. The result is a briskly paced experience that will stick within the mind's eye long after the credits have begun to roll. If you are interested in a thought-provoking story about the price of legacy and the burdens of the past, look no further, Lifeforms delivers.
--Kyle Jonathan