Self-proclaimed as a “post-post coming of age story,” No Heart Feelings serves a slice of the lives of a group of friends in their late twenties living in Toronto, as they struggle to find their footing with love, work, and planning the rest of their lives.
The film opens with an almost painfully relatable scene– protagonist Mel is talking with her roommate Chris on the porch outside a party, debating the fate of her relationship with her long-distance boyfriend. After ranting, apologizing for hogging the conversation, then nevertheless cutting Chris off once he started talking, Mel irked me a bit at first, but only because she made me realize that I have been guilty of doing the same thing.
In fact, most scenes in this film are disturbingly relatable– from publicly drinking sorrows or joys away with friends, to having an office job that seems to have a different fancy title yet zero tasks every week (aside from looking at LOLcats), to hating your best friend’s boring girlfriend, No Heart Feelings hits surprisingly close to the heart, in spite of its title. The conversations are muted, mumbly; the non-actors and their improvised dialogue are almost reassuring– with every muttered afterthought, every punchy retort, I found myself thinking, yes, people in the “real world” do talk just like that!
No Heart Feelings is a go-to film for anyone wondering if they are alone in their wandering– through its sincerity, wit, and simultaneously heart-breaking and heart-warming dialogue, the film reminds you that no, you are far from it.
Synopsis:
Mel (Rebecca Kohler) is frustrated with her life, her love and her career. But breaking up with her long-distance boyfriend (Jonathan Goldstein) sets her on course for an unexpected summer romance. Her roommate Chris (Steve Murray) is grappling with work and love, too. And the rest of her friends are anxious about their own jobs, futures and haircuts. No Heart Feelings is the funny tale of a group of friends navigating their way through life in the city.
Set in a vibrant Toronto over the course of a lazy, sun-dappled summer, No Heart Feelings is a post- post coming of age story, a laugh-out-loud meditation on what it’s like to be nearing the end of your twenties without kids, mortgage or direction in life.
For more info, please visit NoHeartFeelings.com and on Twitter @Syndicado.
Directors:
Sarah Lazarovic, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth
Writers:
Luke Bryant, Sarah Lazarovic, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth
Stars:
Alison Broverman, Mitchell F. Chan, Hilary Doyle
AUTHOR BIO:
Sennah Yee is a Toronto film student specializing in screenwriting. She has worked on various independent film sets as a script supervisor and an art director. Aside from consuming movies and television, she also enjoys live music, borrowed books, and good eats.
