It’s the week of Christmas, and the meandering Joe (Dan Berkey) has found a place to stay in Melissa’s (Jennette Nelligan) apartment. The two are strangers, spending one of the most beautiful times of the year together. They will be forced to get to know one another–and even better, they will be forced to come to terms with themselves. A Blessed Night tells the story of these two strangers spending time with one another, and the profound effect that they will have on the life of their new confidant.
The aesthetic between Joe (a man in his sixties) and Melissa (a young woman somewhere in her twenties) is awkward and uncomfortable–and I think that’s the point. If both characters were around the same age, I think the expectations of viewers would have been drastically different than what existed as a result of this massive age gap. A Blessed Night plays out in a sort of awkward fashion, and that feeling exists throughout the majority of the film. It’s important that viewers feel this way, that they aren’t entirely sure what to anticipate–as it allows the film to develop wonderfully.
As A Blessed Night moves forward, that aforementioned relationship develops. A Blessed Night is a drama through and through, and the development of the relationship is the source of just about every bit of drama. It’s incredibly interesting the way in which these characters, singularly and collectively, develop–and as a result of them I was drawn into the film.
It almost seems like a slow start to a short film might be detrimental to it, like if it takes too long to develop viewers won’t have enough time to care about the film. A Blessed Night most certainly takes some time to develop–but it actually doesn’t hinder the film. What this does is allow viewers a chance to play out a series of scenarios in their heads, to become invested in the characters and their potential stories–and that allows viewers to develop a deep connection with Joe, Melissa, and A Blessed Night. Again, it’s slow to start–but it really works in favor of the film.
Everything throughout the course of A Blessed Night lends itself to the development of this relationship, including the score, the dialogue, and the cinematography. The cinematography in particular works incredibly well, almost always creating intimacy that is quickly translated to that aforementioned character development. We are pulled in, up close and personal, and that never relents throughout the duration of the film. We often feel like we are in the apartment with the characters, like we are involved in their conversations, and that we, much like them, are connected to the things that are being said throughout.
I’m not sure that I’ve ever said a film was about making connections, but that’s exactly the point of A Blessed Night. Writer-Director Angela Jisun Park looks to develop the connection between Joe and Melissa, but more importantly she develops the connection between those characters and viewers. Even in the slow moments I think it’s apparent that these individuals matter, that their stories are familiar, and that no matter which direction A Blessed Night goes, it will resonate with us.
Written & Directed by Angela Jisun Park.
Starring Jennette Nelligan, Dan Berkey, Mike Torres, Mey Ferdinand, & Richard Lankford.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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