-Written by Kyle Bain.
2024 CAMDEN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
A Body Called Life is a short film about isolation, a film that hones in on what it means to separate yourself from the rest of the world. A man called James (James Weiss) spends his time studying the wildlife around him, analyzing the world that surrounds him and that he is a part of. The things that he’s particularly interested in: the microscopic organisms that live around him–and as he cuts himself off even more from the rest of the world, the world somehow becomes even bigger.
The point of this film is to address isolation. Whether isolation is a good thing or not, I’m not entirely sure, but I think that’s the beauty of A Body Called Life. As the film plays out I was sort of forced to ask myself what this film was trying to say, what message it was trying to convey to viewers. The ambiguity of the film is appealing, because it allowed me to dive into both the film and my own mind, attempting to discover not only the meaning of the film, but how I felt in regard to the scenarios depicted on screen. A Body Called Life is a film that makes you think, on a variety of deeper levels–and it works to entertain viewers throughout.
What works the best for A Body Called Life, however, is the fact that much of the film takes place on a microscopic level. Whether they are actual visuals from under a microscope or developed using technology for the film–they look brilliant, reminding us of both our significance and insignificance in the world in which we live. I feel that A Body Called Life does a wonderful job of putting us in our place, effectively stating where we exist in the grand scheme of the world.
A Body Called Life is a really difficult film to dissect. Not because it isn’t effective in conveying information, but rather that there is so much information present that it takes a great deal of time to digest it all and make sense of it. In that way, A Body Called Life is beautiful. And, honestly, I’m not sure there is another way to see it.
A Body Called Life is simply a well put together film, one that effectively tells a story, one that reaches viewers, one that warrants an emotional response. It’s quick, mostly to the point, and a film that has people thinking far beyond its runtime. I’m impressed with what Writer-Director Spencer Macdonald and Writers Amani King and Weiss are able to create and ultimately bring to life.
Directed by Spencer Macdonald.
Written by Amani King, Spencer Macdonald, & James Weiss.
Starring James Weiss.
8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
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