-Written by Kyle Bain.
In this coming-of-age tale, teenaged Samir (Ilyes Tarmasti) begins to understand that he’s attracted to men when he encounters a tourist traveling with his wife. As he attempts to come to terms with this realization, he soon begins to understand that he’s the only one that can save that tourist from catastrophe.
Writer-Director Philippe Grenier uses metaphor to propel Muscat forward, in order for viewers to understand the film’s purpose. Those metaphors, however, are incredibly subtle, and it takes some digging in order to understand what Grenier is attempting to get across to viewers. Once you understand the hidden meanings, once you are able to spot the metaphors and appreciate the symbolism, Muscat takes on new meaning and catapults to new heights. There's a beauty in the way that Grenier wrote his script, in the way that he calculated every move throughout the course of his sixteen-minute film–and that alone is enough to allow viewers to appreciate what sits just before them, even if the level of intellect present in the film does require a bit of brain power.
Fresh caught fish seems like such a trivial aspect of Muscat, like it shouldn’t have much meaning in the grand scheme of things–and, maybe it doesn’t. However, the fish being physically present meant something to me (and has the potential to interest anyone willing to give it some thought) in this film, whether intentional or not. According to Carl Jung, fish often represented something present in the unconscious mind, something that was challenging to capture and hold onto–and that potential meticulous attention to detail is one of the many reasons why Muscat is such a beautiful and effective film.
I do feel that Muscat does go a tad overboard with the physical representation of sex. I think that this aspect of the film needed to be left up to the imagination, and that the film could have flourished more had Grenier avoided this in his short film. I suppose there’s some truth to this, to what might happen given the circumstances present in Muscat, but I believe that those things would have been better left unsaid in this situation.
The cinematography is ultimately responsible for Muscat being so effective. Yes, it’s the metaphors that help to develop deeping meaning and provide stronger connections between viewers and the film’s content, but the way in which Grenier and Director of Photography Derek Brandscombe focus on seemingly insignificant details are what allows those metaphors to be realized and appreciated. Hovering a second longer than expected on a facial expression or a seemingly meaningless fish helps to strengthen the bond between viewer and Muscat, something essential to the film’s ultimate success. This is a film reliant on whether or not it can connect with its audience, and the unique use of cinematography allows that to come to fruition time and time again.
Every once in a while a genre or subgenre is visited and revisited so often that the field becomes saturated, even tiresome. With recent discoveries and advancements within the LGBTQIA+ community, narratives that exist in that vein have become the norm. Though, it’s getting to the point where the subgenre is running the risk of shooting itself in the foot and becoming redundant. With that, it’s important that filmmakers continue to find new and interesting ways to appeal to their audiences when telling stories of this nature–and Grenier accomplishes this in Muscat. Sure, it’s a coming-of-age story like we’ve seen and heard before, but told through a unique lens by way of interesting and new metaphors. Grenier hits the sweet spot in that regard, and his film will be able to make universal connections as a result.
Muscat does get a bit too risque at one point. It’s not that I’m against the idea of films being risque or altogether sexual even–but the fact of the matter is that this felt out of place, unnecessary. With the exception of this thirty-second scene, Muscat is aesthetically beautiful, steeped in metaphor and deeper meaning, and masterfully shot. Grenier develops a spectacular coming-of-age film, existing in the LGBTQIA+ subgenre–but with the potential to be far reaching and universally accepted.
Written & Directed by Philippe Grenier.
Starring Ilyes Tarmasti, Mahmoud Zabennej, Alexandre Bergeron, Naima Oumad, Aline Winant, etc.
9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW
Comments