LOVE IS WORK (2005)

By Rick Jackson

Written and directed by John Kalangis, from his own story, Love Is Work looks at five couples who are at different stages in their relationships. Watching it all unfold, you immediately come to the conclusion that all five conversations are more real since each participant is locked in the present with their true thoughts and feelings. This is why the entire film rings true as an evocative and timely drama set in a restaurant in Toronto.

Before the film begins you already know that love is complex and Kalangis doesn't offer any quick fix solutions because there is nothing simple about love between two people. For this reason their conversations are a natural progression and this makes what may seem simple so profound.

The women come across as impatient and unimpressed with the dishonesty, deception and uncomfortable positions their men have put them in. All they want is completely the opposite. They see this as the foundation of any relationship, which the men fail to grasp completely.

The women as you will observe are not perfect, especially when you see both sexes come unhinged at the drop of a hasty remark or action without thinking.

Men like to boast about their conquests with the opposite sex and they are afraid to commit, want to wait longer before tying the knot, and are unsure of themselves when it comes to focussing on strengthening their biased opinions about love and women in general.

Since there is not any psychiatrist or sex therapist to guide us through these five couples and their conversations, Kalangis is content to let the film work by itself and it does so with amazing results. The couples whose relationships are on thin ice are exposed. Real true love becomes not just a Hollywood stereotype, but a concept where it may actually exist under the right circumstances.

The ensemble cast features Fab Filippo as Victor, Shauna MacDonald as Celia, Kathryn Zeana as Samantha, Ryan McVittie as Charlie, and Natalie Radford as Zoe.

Kalangis keeps everything in perspective with a lot of close-up shots to let us experience the veracity of each character. The expressions on their faces often speak volumes before they say anything.

It is clear from the beginning this could well pass for a documentary because it reveals our true nature as human beings who seek companionship or something more permanent. To see it come to fruition, we must first understand ourselves better before deciding to make the next important step.

Both men and women, in general, as evidenced here need to spend more time speaking out and discussing the issues important to any relationships, especially if you want love to work toward a more positive and real conclusion.

March 11, 2006

Copyright 2006 Rick Jackson