-Written by Kyle Bain.
2024 HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Luna (Madison Vice) seeks the help of a psychic in order to rekindle a love. However, when her wish of love comes true she begins to question its validity. Does he really love her, or is his love only a product of this psychic’s mysticism? Fuck You, Cupid explores the “what ifs” of love and the effects they can have on relationships.
Most (if not all) of us have been in this position at one point or another in our lives, one like the situation that Luna has found herself in Fuck You, Cupid. She questions the love that she shares with the man she craves attention and love from, and it’s not because she is unsure of whether or not she loves him, but the other way around. I know I’ve felt this way. Does she really love me? Do I deserve this love? Am I missing something? It’s a harsh reality to be here, stuck in your own head–and while Fuck You, Cupid has a bit of a weird way of telling this story, I think it ultimately hits the right notes. I could feel the confusion, the pain, the suffering on Luna’s part, and this feeling, something almost akin to imposter syndrome, comes to life in a way that is accessible by the time Fuck You, Cupid concludes.
So, what doesn’t work about the way in which Fuck You, Cupid is told? Well, I struggle to believe that psychics are, in any capacity, legitimate. So, using a psychic as the means to reintroduce love to our protagonist was a bit much for me. Some of the legitimacy of this narrative was lost as a result of the vehicle used to tell it, and while I don’t believe that the use of the occult to bring Fuck You, Cupid to life ruins the film, it certainly makes it more difficult to become invested.
Furthermore, I feel that the dialogue tends to be a bit frumpy from time to time–particularly Luna’s final line. I won’t spoil it, but just know that it feels inorganic, or at least inauthentic. There are many lines throughout the course of Fuck You, Cupid that feel forced, out of place, or just downright wrong. I found myself rolling my eyes or questioning the validity of many of the things being said and done throughout–even beyond the use of that aforementioned psychic, Madame Maira (Starla Caldwell). The aspect of the film that stuck out to me like a sore thumb was Max - the Bouncer (Ranen Navat). He’s a young kid, no more than eight or nine years of age–and he’s meant to play this cunning, knowledgeable character that sort of sets things straight by the end of Fuck You, Cupid. I didn’t believe that for a second, and I found the use of this character to be incredibly off putting.
To be honest, most of Fuck You, Cupid didn’t work for me. At its core it’s something relatable, accessible, understandable, but the way in which it’s presented to viewers just isn’t effective. I wish that Writer-Director Felipe Marinheiro had dialed things back, stuck to the primary storyline without introducing a psychic or a strange child bouncer into the fold. There’s enough material for a short film, a productive one at that–but what matters in Fuck You, Cupid is ultimately overshadowed by just about everything else.
Written & Directed by Felipe Marinheiro.
Starring Madison Vice, Starla Caldwell, Ranen Navat, etc.
5/10 = WORTH WATCHING, BUT YOU’VE BEEN WARNED
Comments