Close at a Distance: a story about love, life, and the relationship between everyone that exists within it. In this proof-of-concept opening scene, a father (Daniel Martin Berkey) and daughter (Crichton Atkinson) discuss what their lives are like, what makes them happy, and how they have affected one another throughout the course of their co-existence. This emotionally driven conversation will likely bring you to tears, so strap in and prepare for a wild emotional journey.
Close at a Distance is ultimately a conversation about life; it dives deep into the intricacies of our day-to-day and into the struggles of our lives as a whole. Why do we live? Why do we do the things we do? Why do we spend nearly every waking minute worrying about a paycheck? Writer-Director Atkinson explores these concepts and more throughout the course of this scene. These are things that most of us think about on a daily basis, but we don’t always afford ourselves enough time to really mull over the answers to these things–and we often find ourselves unhappy (or worse, depressed) as a result of being unable to find answers to life’s more difficult questions. It’s fascinating that Atkinson decided to focus on such seemingly menial topics, but she does, and it’s for the better. I can only imagine that as Close at a Distance moves forward, viewers are able to see more and more of themselves and their lives within Atkinson’s honest project–and that is sure to grab their attention.
Again, we don’t always have time to sit and ponder the aforementioned questions, but it’s important that we understand the answers regardless, and Atkinson does that for us. Close at a Distance is riveting in the sense that it allows us to come to conclusions without having to do all the work. She’s willing to give us the answers and make our lives easier in the process. While films can often work to better our lives, I’m not sure that I’ve seen another film like Close at a Distance in the sense that this appears to be its primary purpose. It looks to benefit its viewers, and that’s a welcome surprise. Atkinson understands not just the intricacies of filmmaking, but of life, and she applies her knowledge with great aplomb to this wonderful film.
It’s hard to identify what Close at a Distance is in its entirety, because what I have available is simply a proof-of-concept opening scene. I’d imagine that if this was the scene chosen to invite potential viewers, that the rest of the film keeps with this tone–meaning it’s somber, but promisingly optimistic. That’s a unique juxtaposition of tone, combining this idea akin to hopelessness and one that expresses to viewers that there is a sense of hope present in the near future if we confront our feelings. This is tremendous writing; to be able to combine two polar opposite ideas and have them flow together fluidly is impressive–and it happens here throughout the entirety of this opening scene. Again, it begs viewers to look at the world around them and question what can be changed and what we need to accept the way it is, and this combination of ideas allows viewers to do that with some semblance of ease.
The opening scene of Close at a Distance is a quick, simple, and effective way to intrigue potential viewers. It possesses the ability to intrigue anyone who watches, tap into their emotions, and drive home a series of important ideas. The writing of Atkinson is beautiful, and it effectively marries two conflicting ideas that shouldn’t exist in the same vein. She quickly develops something brilliant, something that takes almost no time at all to develop, and it appears that Close at a Distance has all the makings of a riveting narrative feature.
Written & Directed by Crichton Atkinson.
Starring Daniel Martin Berkey, Crichton Atkinson, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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