Love Tomorrow – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview

From one scene to the next, this movie about a former dancer glides from beginning to end.

Review (with Spoilers)

This 79-minute film may not have any huge stars in it but, like many indie pictures, it makes up for that by getting your attention in other ways. Be it the music, the story, or the dancing, there are multiple methods Love Tomorrow can get your attention. Though I must admit it may have a problem keeping it.

Characters & Story

Eva (Cindy Jourdain), though known as Maya for most of the story, hasn’t danced for nearly 3 years, but still admires the profession. And perhaps that is the main reason why when a man named Oriel (Arionel Vargas) decides to approach her, she decides to follow him around for a day. You see, through him, she can live vicariously, and remember a life she no longer is capable of doing professionally. One in which she is free to express herself, and can escape many of the problems which live off stage.

Their sudden friendship though seems to only be a distraction for both, however, for Eva and her fiancé Dominic (Max Brown) have a serious issue they need to discuss, and as for Oriel, he needs to find a job soon for his visa is about to end. Together, though, they find time and ways to put their current issues aside and take their love for dancing to remind them why life is worth living.

Praise

If you love classical music or dance, especially ballet, this movie is like a kiss on the nose. The music will entrance you, and the way dance is used to tell the story is quite good. As for the story, while it does have some flaws, the overall story about Eva/ Maya needing to get away, and Oriel needing to find something or someone, to keep his passion alive is quite good. Jourdain, I felt played Eva well, and while she didn’t have much in the way of charm, she gave Eva just enough personality for you to care about her. As for Vargas, while he had his own background, I feel he was best used in opening Eva up to us and getting her to embrace her talent, even if she could never be at her best.

Criticism

When it comes to the film, I felt my focus coming in and out for between every dance scenes was what felt like an intermission in which you were waiting for something interesting to happen or be said. And while both Eva and Oriel are given backstories, this doesn’t come as quickly as perhaps it should, much less neither feel as impactful as they perhaps should. The main reason I think this became an issue is because of the characters themselves, and the story’s pacing.

Eva comes off very aloof and cold, and for good reason, but you don’t understand, even considering her reason, why is she spending a day with this very aggressive stranger (Oriel) who has this almost creepy factor to him? And while Oriel’s character does evolve over the course of the film, as does Eva, it feels very much like those moments are done in sprints. You have periods where the film becomes dull; then the characters begin talking about themselves, which could be considered their warm up; and then they are dancing, vibrant and remind you why you should stick with the movie.

To me, though, while not the most horrible moments, those scenes in which we watch the ever awkward Eva peer into Oriel’s world were just not interesting. Never mind the occasional language barrier, but then there is the issue of just trying to understand how Eva can meet this complete stranger and find herself spending the day, and night, with him. Which perhaps is more so something I may not understand than an actual negative point, but it does make for a slightly forced story in the beginning.

Overall: TV Viewing

Though a nice film, I wouldn’t really say it is worth spending money on. A part of me wants to say that it could definitely make good background noise for a nap, but that would take away from the genuinely good points of the movie which makes it seem like there was actually some effort to tell a story. However, during, perhaps, at least a quarter of the film, you are lost between thinking Oriel is looking to trick Eva into helping him get a green card, or for sex, and Eva seems so out of it that until both of them start presenting their backstories and letting us get to know them, it is easy to start dozing off. Thus leading to the belief this is a TV Viewing type of film. One which may make good background noise, but isn’t as good as it could have been due to not getting to the heart of the story quicker.