-Written by Michelle Vorob.
2024 SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Can We Pretend is a short film directed by Samantha Toy Ozeas, about best friends Vera (Adina Aaron) and Tazzie (Sophia Macy), who go away for a Girls’ Weekend to celebrate Tazzie's birthday. Both starting out in their careers, Vera and Tazzie are relishing their time away, but Vera is distracted by her constantly pinging phone. She's been an intern at The White House and has gained online notoriety, after leaking a damaging quote she overheard. Tazzie starts to feel ignored and unimportant, despite the fact that it's her birthday weekend.
As the weekend progresses, Tazzie begins to feel more and more neglected by her friend, and when she finally confronts Vera, things get a bit heated. A surprising truth is revealed that tests the girls’ friendship and raises ethical questions of right and wrong.
With some wonderfully natural feeling moments between them, I also perceived some of the dialogue as forced and not well-acted, which I didn't expect, considering Aaron and Macy also wrote the script for this movie. Filmed in top quality, Can We Pretend offers a beautiful country backdrop and home where the weekend's events take place, but it doesn't distract from the events taking place. It serves as a canvas in which these girls are completely alone, both with and from each other, as events in their lives may be pulling them apart.
The home and grounds feel lonely at times and serve as a reminder that we are sometimes truly alone in our decisions. How does one define right and wrong in an ethically gray area? Is it as simple as choosing “right” or “wrong?” Can a friendship of two people who started with similar values survive a drastic shift in one's concept of right & wrong, good & bad?
As we know, the world isn't black and white. How much of a “slippery slope” is acceptable in politics, journalism, and society at large? What if the intention behind one's actions are honorable?
Can We Pretend does an effective job of raising these questions in a believable scenario, and in that respect, Ozeas, Aaron, and Macy absolutely hit the nail on the head. This would be a great film to show in an ethics class, to raise a discussion. How far is too far across the line, if intentions are good? If it has a positive outcome? But what if that individual then benefits personally from those wrong actions? Can we then still consider them to be ethical? We know from the world of politics, actually, from the state of our world in general, there isn't an easy answer, nor does everyone face the same consequence, even in similar situations. There are too many other factors. Too much gray. What is the motivation for someone to make the right decision, if the people around them benefit from bending or breaking the rules? Despite all the gray, we, as a society, want truth and justice.
Directed by Samantha Toy Ozeas.
Written by Adina Aaron and Sophia Macy.
Starring Adina Aaron and Sophia Macy.
7/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
