Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: STOP TIME [Dances With Films NY - New York, New York]

The essence of a life lost in time usually comes with the idea of time that cannot be regained. This idea is at the corner structure of "Stop Time", a New York set film written and directed by Paul Schwartz. The film follows a photographer Peter (Nelson Avidon) whose life has become a series of drifting moments after the death of his wife. He hangs out in Coney Island bathed in black and white. His photography used to capture the texture of dance but he has become disconnected and doesn't feel the movement. Peter, as a character, seems to avoid life, despite the intent of his friends who know how talented he is. Peter just doesn't want to re-engage. In the interim, he does seem to be overtly sorry for himself but everyone is different. His wife seemed to be his whole world but, that said, even though he doesn't seem that old, he does seem to miss things in his own life, maybe by trauma or by something else. One scene midway through that really seems to capture this is an interaction with his daughter on a bench at Coney Island. She seems like she is losing him when he is right in front of her...and that in many ways is the most heartbreaking thing, because he can't see it.

On the other end of the coin is Marin (Kelly Deadmon), a lighting designer at the Met with a daughter and a life ahead of her. She is not disconnected like Peter but is searching for something that maybe she never had or forgot. She doesn't seem co-dependent. She has a mother (who adopted her) that is suffering from dementia in a way and that is heartbreaking in its own way as well...because she has lost time with her. Marin's story is also harrowing but in a more time loss way. When she was adopted at three, her brother was there in Poland with her. He didn't go with her and she never saw him again. She almost forgot about him until the Polish Consulate sends her a photo of him to validate their connection. There is an interesting missed opportunity which wisps in the viewer's mind. But this makes Marin's eventual set up (by their friends) with Peter so interesting. She has many things she is dealing with but she puts those aside to meet him where he is at...though he might not have the presence of mind to appreciate it...but we can. It is such a nice perspective of humanity, even though Peter, as a character, comes off selfish at times...he is just scared (or not ready) until he isn't. This moment is just bathed in a matter of losing time or regaining it. "Stop Time" is a quiet and meditative character study of connection in New York, which while not overwhelming, definitely revels in its own identity. B

By Tim Wassberg