Vera (Sofya Nova) is a young Russian woman who has had somewhat of a fling with Jack (Timothy J. Cox). Vera decides the best course of action is to follow Jack back to the United States, but with her she carries a secret. That secret will compel her to do things, and it will strain a potential relationship with the successful businessman, Jack, but Vera will do what she has to in order to find solace in her new home.
Sound is the vehicle by which the story of Vera is told, and it’s not a vehicle by which many films are expressed–making Vera interestingly unique. Dialogue, visuals, and other aspects lend themselves to viewers being able to understand and appreciate this film, but the sound of heavy breathing, wine being poured, etc. pull viewers into the film and Vera and Jack’s story and allows them to feel as if they were experiencing the same things as those characters. That feeling of inclusion is great for viewers, and even better for the filmmakers, because even if they don’t find the film itself interesting they are able to find solace in the fact that the content is relatable.
Somewhere early in the film Vera makes a comment that her English isn’t so great, and I found this troubling. I appreciate the sentiment and it makes sense that after just moving to America from Russia that one’s English would be less than adequate, but I didn’t find this to be true of Nova’s Vera throughout the course of Vera. Her English in this film is quite good and I struggled to believe that Nova was new to the United States from a place that might rarely speak English. This issue present throughout the entirety of Vera is off-putting as it seemingly takes away from the believability of the film.
Backtracking to the relatability of Vera, the severity and the awkwardness of the story is part of what attracts me to this film (sans the issue with Vera’s broken English). The story is simple, as it explores ideas of love, loss, temptation, etc.–all things that viewers are able to understand and appreciate. Vera works as a result of these deep, meaningful topics; it provides viewers a reason to care. Writers Wilder Carne and Dante Iannetta understand how to tap into the human psyche and present them with scenarios that mean something to them and be fully understood–and their ability to develop these scenarios is the reason that Vera has the potential to find success.
There are some holes present throughout Vera that become frustrating and even caused me to scratch my head on occasion, but fortunately Carne and Iannetta are able to create content that resonates with viewers–allowing those shortcomings to fall away and be forgotten from time to time. Aside from the issue with the (less than) broken English, I believe that the actors do a great job of portraying their characters and expressing the gravity of what is occurring throughout Vera. The awkwardness that exists and the sometimes gut-wrenching scenarios, coupled with the brilliant use of sound creates something unique and intriguing. Vera is simple and that’s a good thing; it’s relatable and clear in its attempts to reach viewers, and that is what provided me the ability to be captivated by this piece of art.
Directed by Dante Iannetta.
Written by Wilder Carnes & Dante Iannetta.
Starring Sofya Nova, Tatyana Yassukovich, & Timothy J. Cox.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
Comments