Title: A Beautiful Curse
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Martin Garde Abildgaard
Starring: Mark Strepan, Olivia Vinall
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins

What It Is: A rogue photographer sneaks onto an island struck with a sleeping phenomenon that leaves all its inhabits in a state of hibernation. While documenting the snoozing occupants he finds a reason to stay despite the danger.

What We Think: Samuel (Mark Strepan) and Stella’s (Olivia Vinall) mental dance breaks up misty views of a world caught in suspension. As Samuel makes his way about the island, capturing people frozen in their last moment of awareness, he pieces together their lives in his mind. But it is Stella who ensnares his awareness, and his life becomes an existence of perceived conversations between them.

Yet even in his created interviews her persona reminds him that he knows nothing of what a fully conscious Stella might be like. He prods her with questions, even creating an encounter in his mind of their first meet up, and all the while his theoretical Stella balances his advances with frustration at his disconnection to what is truly going on.
And despite the heavy risk of falling under the sleeping spell, Samuel makes several attempts to leave the island only to change his mind and find himself back in front of Stella’s blissful body, torn between his fear and sense, and his heart.
Ultimately we see him succumb, only to wonder if there is any end to the mysterious plague.

Our Grade: B-, An unexpected love story that evolves from a story idea that leaves us questioning the blurred lines between dreams and reality. The cinematography blends with the pace of the film, creating a lull that emphasizes the state of every character trapped on the island. Samuel and Stella’s conversations evolve from chance encounters to dramatic layers of dark madness, yet through all of it the constant question remains, is any of it real? Stella’s soulful gaze draws us in her trapped state as her body lay flaccid under the watchful gaze of a delusional Samuel. One would wonder to what end he could even know the color of her eyes, stunning in their glare, when he has only encountered her in her current state, but the obvious questions don’t seem to arise because the film never confirms where Samuel’s imagination ends and life begins. Yet the film is addictive in its dialogue and interaction, and the premise is unlike the usual tragic love story, and tragic it is. To exist beyond fear of losing awareness simply to spend a fleeting moment in the gaze of another dictates the depth of love one could possess, even amongst a mysterious plague.

Reviewed by your Melanin Gifted Movie critic at the San Diego International Film Festival.