Review of Medicine for Melancholy (2009) by Vlad I — 15 Mar 2009

In ?[i]Medicine for Melancholy[/i]? a guy and a girl meet each other and in the beautiful backdrop of SF spend one day and night together. The encounter itself is kind of awkward; the two wake up in the same bed having only vague memories about how they got there after a wild party. The morning after feelings are a mix of being a bit shy, confused and intrigued. And though there is a temptation to simply leave and forget about the encounter on the girl?s part, the boy really wants it to go beyond a one night stand. As the story unravels, the two discover they have a lot in common and gradually growcloser and more intimate. The film?s lasting accomplishment is the apparent absence of scripting with somewhat awkward scenes and clumsy language making it much more trustworthy.

At the beginning, in stereotypical fashion, African-American girl Jo, labels the situation she just got herself intoas ?sex with a random man? and tries to put it behind her; especially because she was drunk and she doesn?t want to cheat on her boyfriend who is currently in London. But when her boyfriend calls, she inadvertently compares him to her new acquaintance and seemingly ends up choosing the latter. The acquaintance, Micha, a black man in his late twenties, seems a bit dull and dry at the beginning, but this is just a first impression. In fact, Micha [b]soon[/b] proves to be a very passionate and interesting personality. This is revealed for instance, when after realizing Jo has forgotten her purse in the taxi they just shared, he bikes all the way to the Marina from the Tenderloin in order to return it. Micha is a very down to Earth, laid back kind of guy and he has no interest in going out of his way to try to impress Jo in any way. Nevertheless, he still manages to charm her with his genuine jokes, quirky songs, and childish, yet cute drawing.

It is intriguing to watch how Jo warms up to Micha who despite his poor looks is quite likable and self-confident. It is also interesting to see just how much Joe is willing to give up for the sake of making this connection. She comes over to the Micha?s apartment, which looks like a dump, and calmly asks him to take a shower before joining him in his bed. How much can she accept underlines what she cares for, which is true feelings, peacefulness of mind, mental comfort of being with a soul mate. The two talk about their jobs, their past, and play a bit with each other before getting asleep.

On the flip side of Micha and Joe?s relationships is the tension Micha feels each time he starts talking about race and racial profiling (especially concerning housing in SF). At one point he says to Jo ? ?You?ll be the first black girl who drives a fixed gear bike in the Marina. In fact you will be a first black girl there?. The fact that Mica is full of bitterness upsets and repels Jo. She doesn?t wanna talk about problems but not because she is oblivious to them. Just on the opposite, Jo is more open than Micha and doesn?t identify herself solely with a black (well, African-American) woman. She is just a young smart pretty woman who sees a life full of opportunities. The growing discomfort and tension between the two shows what Jo cannot accept ? bitterness, a lack of attitude and the mood of self-destruction. To be fare both are a bit self-destructive and immature throughout the movie ? they drink a lot, don?t think much about their future and Jo doesn?t even have a job. But this is just cheer and young optimism?s speaking. The two go their separate ways at the end of the movie as if to underline that everyone has their own unique way. The best medicine for melancholy is true feelings even if they don?t last long. The fact that the movie is sort of open-ended reminds a Japanese practice of observation without jumping to the conclusion or overanalyzing. This together with truthfulness of the plot and epic SF scenery definitely makes the film to stand out in Independent cinematography.