Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: BRAVADO [Dances With Films LA - Los Angeles, California - Virtual]
Meta thrillers about the makings of movies and how they integrate into the psyche of their main characters have always been interesting parlays into the darker side of human nature as long as they don’t lean too heavily into their own idiosyncrasies or mythos. With "Bravado" [Feature], the story focuses on Amy Erickson (Caitlin Morris) who has been accepted into a screenwriting fellowship but also works remote for an insurance company on the side. She connects with a blacklisted director looking for his next big thing. Amy sees a possibility but the director treats her like garbage being hard on her with giving adequate reason for his overwhelming narcissism. While this could be painted as in her own mind, the characterization of Lombardi (Lucas Malicrjno) is a but much. That said, when he plays the protagonist of the movie within the movie that Amy is writing for him, it tends to work...but not in the reality setting.
What is off is that a different actress later is playing Chaira (Rachel De Renzo) when it would have been much more specific to have Morris play her. Granted this might have been motivated by financing and scheduling but it changes the meaning. Half the film seems to have been shot in Cardiff in Wale. I actually think I ate at one of the restaurants featured in the film within a film when I was on a film locations tour. The meta aspect of "Bravado" examines mostly how Amy can examine human nature enough to write her character but have some semblance of what her characters are feeling. One scene on a blind date is extremely uncomfortable (and is meant to be) though it slightly crosses the line into masochism in a way to make a point. Granted Amy wants validation in certain (or all) ways but the way people push her might be the way some circles work in Tinseltown. That said, it is also antagonistic on purpose which, in relating to films like "Whiplash" and "Njghtcrawler" makes sense but the path of the creative also should have an escape hatch of empathy in the darkness. Amy is on the edge of losing herself but stays the path, even into the final moments. B-
By Tim Wassberg
