.png)
★★★★
Directed by: Fatty Soprano, Shawn 'Shutterr' Vasquez
Written by: Aidan Grossman, Fatty Soprano
Starring: Shelby Handley, Isabella Astbury
A heartbreaking tale about a woman who is tormented by a terrible tragedy.
A woman (Handley) is wondering the streets of a city. She appears to be upset. She ends up on a beach, where she has a conversation with her daughter, Emily (Astbury).
However, their conversation reveals that Emily is just a figment of her imagination, and flashbacks reveal that she lost her daughter, due to a miscarriage, which was probably caused by her drug addiction.
This short, powerful film deals with one of the most devastating events imaginable: a child dying due to their parent's careless actions.
The film explores the damaging impact the mother's mistake has had on her life. The words she says to her imaginary daughter leave no doubt that she is torn apart by guilt and regret. As a result of the tragedy she is now alone, lost and emotionally scared forever.
Handley delivers a very moving performance as a person who is struggling with grief and regret. She is a good person, who made a terrible error. The scenes that show the miscarriage are quite distressing, particularly because of Handley's realistic acting. Astbury is great in being the daughter the way her mum would imagine her to be as a child: cheerful, happy and clever.
The filmmakers use color with black-and-white cinematography and they do so very effectively. The use of black-and-white helps bring a dark and poignant feeling. They make good use of slow motion techniques and voice-over. They also create wonderful establishing shots of buildings and busy streets and interesting upside down shots.
There is dramatic music and the majority of the film is accompanied by a beautiful track of piano music, which adds a melancholic tone.
The film's main subject: a miscarriage due to drugs, is rather depressing and the scenes of drugs being prepared and the woman suffering the miscarriage are almost unbearable. But the film also has moments of beauty and tenderness, which take place when the she encounters her daughter.
There is a sequence that is worth pointing out. This occurs when pictures of the never-existed daughter are being consumed by flames. Emily is not real and therefore neither are the pictures, so this heart-rending moment represents the fact that Emily could had existed but ultimately did not.
Seabreeze is an emotional ride with moments that are painful and others touching. It carries a message that warns against drugs, because they destroy and end lives.
Trailer:
.png)
