Small Showers

Written and directed by Alex Rosales, Small Showers tells the poignant tale of a married couple’s grief as they struggle to come to terms with a recent tragedy, risking losing themselves and each other more and more in the process.

 

Rosale’s film is infused with a constant melancholy that might be the film’s biggest strength. Its decidedly mournful mood is one that sits heavily and persistently right from the start, and as such means that the audience can not only fully feel and carry the weight of this tragedy with them but connects us instantly and wholeheartedly with the characters of Rachel (James) and Joshua (Reilly) from beginning to end.

 

And with both characters having two very differing approaches in terms of attempting to cope with this tragic situation, the audience gets to see two very different perspectives and portrayals of how people tackle grief in their own unique ways. On one hand, we have Rachel, who the weight of loss has effectively numbed into immobility, anger, and despair. Heart-rending stuff to watch, and James is clearly a highly skilled actor with the deftness in their ability to make sure all that gets across as it needs to without ever descending into melodrama, their delivery of “I can’t” at the film’s finale brilliantly underlining a very commendable and heartbreaking performance.

 

On the other side, Reilly’s Joshua, unknowing it seems of any other way to handle the situation, is looking to power through the emotions rather than face them, opting to be the one dealing with all the red tape of the situation in an attempt to distract himself completely, going through the motions of what needs to be done in terms cremation arrangements, payments, etc. But the highlights from Reilly’s equally strong performance come when Joshua, persistently trying his ineffectual best to do the right things or say the right words and trying desperately to hold it together for both of them, eventually feels the full force of emotion descend on him like a ton of bricks, finally wearing his helplessness so plainly we feel every part of it too.

 

But what Rosales does best with Small Showers is tell a story that is not laden with the particulars i.e. the what and the why of the story, but rather the meaning or feeling of it. It is never explicitly clear what exactly has transpired, but piecing together all the clues Rosales leaves throughout will tell you all you need to know of the unfathomable events that have clearly occurred. Because of this, Small Showers is a story that yes tells you what you need to know, but more importantly, makes you feel what you need to feel, and that right there is what elevates this film to another level.

 

Small Showers portrays grief in a very profound and interesting way, capturing that sense of aggravation when the rest of the world just goes on spinning without you when you feel yours spinning out of control. Never tries to fill itself with any big answers but rather fills itself with a lot of heart.

Produced by Jaap Deinum and Geneva Pierre-Jerome, Small Showers is the latest film of Oopsduck, a creative agency and production studio.