Brilliant Mistakes – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

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Overview

A cute love story tainted, slightly, by the grief and guilt of those affected.

Review (with Spoilers)

Like so many films I review, especially as of late, this is another film which likely you may not have heard about, but is perhaps worth seeing. For despite pretty much having no actor amongst the bunch with any type of name recognition, and the actors seeming a little green at times, it does have a sense of heart which can get to you. Well, if you can excuse some aspects of the film anyway.

Characters & Story

What is presented in the beginning is a love story in which young Gabby (played by Elise McNamara), your general sweet, all-American girl, who loves baking, is on her way to work and her boyfriend calls. She doesn’t answer because she is a careful driver, and never one to drive above the speed limit, but then something in the road makes her swerve and next thing we know she is damn near a vegetable who may be able to breathe on her own, but has seemingly no motor skills and cannot talk. Despite this, though, boyfriend Marcus (played by Daniel Dambroff) lets it be known his love and loyalty to her will not end, especially considering that day was going to be the day he was to propose.

Thus leading to a film in which you think you are going to simply watch flashbacks of the happy couple as he waits for good news, but that doesn’t happen. For one, Gabby’s mom Sandra (played by Aria McKenna) complicates things because she cannot mentally handle Gabby’s condition, and then there is Elliot (played by Christopher Clawson). Elliot is a published writer who seemingly enchants Marcus, due to him being an English teacher with a strong fascination in literature, and since their meeting at a grief group session, the two grow close. Both share their stories about their loved ones, with Elliot talking about his brother but, due to Elliot’s actions, their friendship seems to come to an abrupt end. Then, right after, Sandra calls with news about Gabby which I think will lead most of you to tears.

Praise

What I loved most about this movie was the love story. Gabby and Marcus make a cute couple and seem like the kind you’d see on a teen drama on ABC Family, and their story, as a whole, almost seems like it would befit a young adult novel. For, with Marcus being so loyal, despite being told Gabby may never recover and, even if she does, she won’t be able to walk and talk, seeing him want to stick by her despite that, and talk with her and seem so in love that her situation seems not to matter, really just makes you want to say “aw.”

Criticism

However, despite what you may see in the trailer, let me forewarn you that while this love story is present, a good portion of the movie features two very discomforting relationships, both of which involve Marcus. The first one being his relationship with Sandra who, while grieving, finds herself acting like a horny schoolgirl trying to be intimate with her daughter’s boyfriend. And it doesn’t end there, for while seemingly Elliot is just this weird guy who is bonding over mutual grief with Marcus, then things get weird and it begins to seem like Elliot is perhaps falling in love with Marcus and to me, though you recognize people grieve in different ways, it just seemed like both stories were just unnecessary exclusively due to the romantic, or perhaps lustful in Sandra’s case, undertones of which even Gabby’s sister Erin (played by Trisha Carr) calls Marcus out on.

Overall: TV Viewing

The highlight of this film is without a doubt the love story. For while it sort of shares focus with the madness listed in the critique, it truly is what keeps you watching the film to see if this will end happy or with Marcus forever waiting. However, what is mentioned in the critique is so wtf-ish that it drives me to saying that this is only worth TV viewing. But, considering this may never actually end up on TV, I’d just say if you are bored one Sunday and want to watch something interesting, for a lack of a better term, check this film out.