2022 SXSW FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Hamish Consodine (Cosmo Jarvis) cares about very little. He lives life very nonchalantly, and he tends to be wreckless from time to time. When one day he faces a life-altering obstacle, and meets a young man, his life begins to change. As he journeys through the world and begins to discover who and what he is, he must face his stingiest demons yet, and they are unwilling to concede. Hamish reminds us that It Is In Us All to fight each and every one of our battles, but that the results may be catastrophic.
Jarvis is very Tom Hardy-esque. He possesses a clear passion for his craft, and he brings that emotion with him to be used throughout the film. He’s captivating, aesthetically pleasing, and full of a vigor that allows It Is In Us All to be propelled forward. Beyond that he’s simply a good actor. Viewers can feel his emotion, and what Hamish is experiencing throughout It Is In Us All feels real and tangible–and ultimately relatable.
However, It Is In Us All isn’t about the acting, and it’s not so much about the narrative, it’s about reaching viewers on an emotional level and expressing the difficulties of life in cinematic form. It Is in Us All is a journey through the human mind, and it delves deep into the dark crevices that the majority of people typically try to avoid. Sure, through the narrative and the acting this goal is reached, but it seems that writer-director Antonia Campbell-Hughes doesn’t care how she reaches viewers, as long as she reaches them. She’s a smart writer, as she does a wonderful job of avoiding extraneous details and submerging viewers in the important aspects of the film from the opening moments. We learn about who and what Hamish is, and from those opening moments viewers are attached emotionally.
Part of the reason that everything feels so visceral and real is a result of the simplicity and the beautiful aesthetic of It Is In Us All. Nothing extravagant happens throughout the film, and viewers are taken on a journey that feels completely realistic and honest. Ten to one every single viewer has experienced something that occurs throughout the course of the film–sexual tension, relationship issues, a car accident–and that fact intrigues viewers and allows them to better appreciate It Is In Us All as a whole. The aesthetic is another reason that the film feels so real, and it feels truthful. The visual representation present throughout the film is reflective of the world in which viewers live, and it makes those viewers feel at home, comfortable with everything they are seeing and feeling.
Through the honesty of It Is In Us All viewers are able to connect to what is being said and done. Again, while the narrative and the acting are relevant, it’s the message present throughout the film that reaches viewers on an emotional level, and they feel connected to Campbell-Hughes’ story almost immediately as a result. She’s a powerful writer, and she knows how to tap into her viewers’ emotions. It Is In Us All becomes a riveting journey as a result of Campbell-Hughes and Jarvis’ prowess–and through the film’s simplicity, the reality of our own emotions is realized.
Written & Directed by Antonia Campbell-Hughes.
Starring Cosmo Jarvis, Rhys Mannion, Claes Bang, Antonia-Campbell-Hughes, Lalor Roddy, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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