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★★★★
Directed by: #SaulAbraham
Written by: #CallumCameron
Starring: #HimeshPatel, #SaraStewart, #JonathanAris, #MaddyHill, #TomSweet
Progressive muscle relaxation, Lycra, spoken word. As Michael seeks novel ways to halt his spiralling depression, a moment of hope arrives via an unexpected source.
Enjoy, a fantastic new short from Saul Abraham, shows depression and the way someone must cope with overcoming it. Michael (Himesh Patel) is a struggling musician who is taking up a second job as a “doctor.” Being tasked with supporting a young teen who also seems to be struck with blues and potential depression, Michael tries to find the root of his problems and make a change.
In a short and sweet 18-minutes, Abraham’s return to filmmaking after a few years is a delicately sensitive one. Enjoy finds time to sit with characters as they figure out who and what they are, what they can accomplish and how they affect other people. But it also makes some comfortable room for some laughs in between all of this. The small cast, consisting of Patel, Stewart and Sweet, is a wonderful one that takes great care with the delivery of some pretty touchy subjects. Depression is explored more and more in film and while this one in particular doesn’t really change up the execution, it is presented rather well.
The cinematography is somewhat bleak but beautiful in its own right. The popping blues represent the feeling of “being blue” within oneself, and the brighter colours that other characters wear around Michael show the more positive affect they have on him. There are scenes where he’s surrounded by light yellow tones, and others where he’s almost completely absorbed by the same blue tones that he wears himself. This is either intentional or plain luck, but it’s something that contrasted well for me, nonetheless.
I think Himesh Patel is on a cracking roll. He’s picking roles that ask something different from him, and his progression from his days on TV soap opera EastEnders to now is admirable. It feels as if he will be furthering his career by delving into a colourful array of projects much like Robert Pattinson has over the years. If there’s a Patel train, I’m jumping on right now.
Both genuine and heartwarming, while grasping themes of mental health, Enjoy triumphs in its small-life story. It’s soft and gentle, but charming and light as well. If you’re looking for something that will ask for just a little of your time for a good cause, look no further than Enjoy.
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