-Written by Kyle Bain.
A young man (Michael Gandolfini) sits before a camera, practicing his pickup lines. Suddenly he’s stung by a bee, and an allergic reaction occurs. Tea tells an innocent tale with a wild twist.
Tea opens to footage of the aforementioned young man, footage from his camcorder that, at this point, is far outdated. We are immediately taken back in time, to a time that feels much more innocent than the world in which we all currently live. In that moment viewers are able to understand and appreciate the sentiment behind what the young, nameless man is attempting to accomplish. The simplicity present in this scene is ultimately the key to its success, as it quickly allows viewers access to the young man and his emotional state. Tea is awkward in this moment, and that awkwardness is nearly palpable here.
Then Tea transitions nicely from found footage to standard footage. Things are done effectively, sort of pulling viewers back and forth between the types of footage–and as we are dragged back and forth the intensity and discomfort that the young man would have been feeling grows and becomes more apparent. Everything in Tea works to create a level of intensity, to allow viewers to understand and appreciate the characters in the film.
There was one scene in particular, as the footage shifted from found footage to standard, in which I said, audibly to myself, “That’s a great use of lighting.” Interestingly, however, there’s something unnatural about the light in that scene, seemingly coming from multiple directions—and that mirrors the young man’s situation, in which he finds himself particularly uncomfortable. Again, the goal of Writer-Director Blake Rice seems to be to create intensity and drama–and he accomplishes this beautifully, particularly in this moment.
Interestingly enough, while there’s something awkward and intense through the majority of the film–a juxtapositional comedy is present as well that works wonderfully throughout the course of Tea as well. That juxtapositional comedy works to provide some levity and cut through the tension, while further humanizing the young man and the situation in which he’s found himself. I found the comedy to be the most intriguing aspect of the film, as it expands the emotional reach of Tea, makes the characters more relatable, and simply adds depth to a film that could have easily been one dimensional (though, I do believe that Tea would have been successful either way).
What ultimately allows Tea to be so successful is the balance created between the comedy and intensity, both strewn throughout the entirety of the film. Furthermore, Rice helps to develop a technically sound film that invites viewers into the young man’s story, provides an effective level of accessibility throughout, and smoothly transitions us from place to place. Tea is interestingly touching, capable of putting us in the shoes of its protagonist in the opening seconds, and allowing us to remain in that position throughout.
Written & Directed by Blake Rice.
Starring Michael Gandolfini, Olivia Nikkanen, etc.
8/10 = WORTH RENTING OR BUYING
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