Una mirada al aislamiento y la depresion
It's rare to come across a film whose title, while being so long and specific, is faithful to the content of the plot. It's logical that if you come across a film titled Sometimes I Think About Dying on a streaming platform, MUBI in this case, you'd expect a story about someone who sometimes thinks about dying, or about death. And you have to consider all the words that were chosen for the name of the film; the choice was not fortuitous.
Pocas veces se encuentra uno con una película cuyo título, siendo tan largo y específico, sea fiel al contenido de la trama. Es lógico que si uno se topa en una plataforma de streaming, en MUBI en este caso, con una cinta titulada Sometimes I Think About Dying espere una historia sobre alguien que a veces piense en morirse, o en la muerte. Y hay que considerar todas las palabras que fueron seleccionadas para el nombre de la película; la elección no fue fortuita.
Because if Fran, the protagonist of this story, thought always about death, then the title would be a bit misleading; and if she thought about committing suicide then the name would be a bit misleading, because dying is not the same as killing oneself. And Fran doesn't think about killing herself. At least, that is not what I felt when I watched those daydreams in which she imagines herself in different scenarios, dying or already dead. She doesn't show us the line of actions that can lead her to that fate, we only see her lying somewhere, usually empty, secluded, without people, or rising from the ground hanging from some crane. We can say that these intrusive thoughts that Fran has are not necessarily suicidal and that, probably, they are more common than one thinks in other people. But, as I was saying, it's not that she's always thinking about these things, because although it's true that she's a very shy, quiet, reserved and silent person, it's clear that she enjoys her job and that even though others don't seem to notice her, she does see them, she observes them. In addition to being shy, or perhaps because of that same shyness, Fran doesn't seem to know how to express herself very well. Something as simple as writing a message on a card for a coworker almost overwhelms her, let alone starting a long conversation about a particular subject. That's why it seems logical to us that Fran is a lonely girl, but it also makes us a little sad that no one notices her, that no one gets close to her. And that's when Robert appears.
Porque si Fran, la protagonista de esta historia, pensara siempre en la muerte, entonces el título sería algo mentiroso; y si pensara en suicidarse entonces el nombre sería un poco engañoso, porque morirse no es lo mismo que matarse. Y Fran no piensa en matarse. Al menos, no fue eso lo que sentí al contemplar esas ensoñaciones en las que ella se imagina a sí misma en diferentes escenarios, moribunda o ya muerta. No nos muestra la línea de acciones que la pueden conducir a ese destino, sólo la vemos yacer en algún lugar, por lo general vacío, retirado, sin gente, o elevarse del suelo colgada de alguna grúa. Podemos decir que estos pensamientos intrusivos que Fran tiene no necesariamente son suicidas y que, probablemente, sean más comunes de lo que uno cree en las demás personas. Pero, como decía, no es que ella esté todo el tiempo pensando en estas cosas, porque aunque es cierto que es una persona muy tímida, callada, reservada y silenciosa, se ve que disfruta su trabajo y que a pesar de que los demás parecen no notarla, ella sí los ve, los observa. Además de tímida, o quizás por esa misma timidez, Fran parece no saber expresarse muy bien. Algo tan sencillo como escribir un mensaje en una tarjeta para una compañera de trabajo casi la sobrepasa y ni digamos entablar una conversación larga sobre algún tema en particular. Por eso nos parece lógico que Fran sea una chica solitaria, pero también nos da algo de pena que nadie la note, que nadie se acerque un poco. Y es entonces cuando aparece Robert.
One of Fran's coworkers retires and the company hires someone else to fill her position. This is a man named Robert, who is about Fran's age, but a bit more open, talkative, cheerful, and although he's also somewhat shy at first, he seems to establish positive relationships with the other people in the office almost immediately and without making almost any effort.
Una compañera de trabajo de Fran se jubila y la empresa contrata a otra persona para cubrir su puesto. Se trata de un hombre llamado Robert, más o menos de la edad de Fran, pero un poco más abierto, conversador, risueño y aunque también es algo tímido al principio, parece entablar relaciones positivas con las demás personas de la oficina casi de inmediato y sin hacer prácticamente ningún esfuerzo.
Office chores lead Robert to talk to Fran and then they meet up one day to go to the movies and have something to eat. It may seem like a normal, everyday interaction in many cases, but for Fran it makes a difference. We don't need her to tell us to know that no one in the office had ever invited her to go out or share outside of work hours before and Fran seems grateful for the opportunity. That doesn't mean she's changing her way of being. She continues to be shy, sparing with words and somewhat distant, but at least she dares to do something different. It's as if until Robert's arrival, Fran was that person in the office who stays on the sidelines, doesn't talk to anyone and who no one approaches so as not to bother her because they think that respecting that isolation is respecting that person, and in that way everyone gets used to it, some not paying attention and others not actively participating in the group. But how long can you live like that? Or even more so, how much can you really want to live like that? We don't know if Fran has always been like this or if something led her to withdraw like this at some point in her life, but it's easy for us to empathize with her and feel that beneath that surface there is a warm, approachable human being who deserves and desires more communication, more attention and more affection. I think that despite the distance, Fran is liked and the viewers want to get closer to her and make her our friend.
Cosas propias de las tareas de la oficina llevan a Robert a conversar con Fran y luego se juntan un día para ir al cine y comer algo. Puede parecer una interacción normal, cotidiana en muchos casos, pero para Fran marca una diferencia. No necesitamos que ella nos lo diga para saber que nadie en la oficina la había invitado antes a salir un rato o a compartir fuera del horario laboral y Fran parece agradecida con la oportunidad. Eso no significa que cambie su forma de ser. Sigue mostrándose tímida, parca en palabras y algo distante, pero al menos se atreve a hacer algo diferente. Es como si hasta la llegada de Robert, Fran fuese esa persona de la oficina que se mantiene al margen, no habla con nadie y que nadie aborda para no molestarle porque piensan que respetar ese aislamiento es respetar a esa persona, y de esa manera todos se acostumbran, unos a no prestar atención y la otra a no participar activamente del colectivo. Pero, ¿qué tanto se puede vivir así? o más aún, ¿qué tanto se puede desear vivir así en realidad? No sabemos si Fran siempre ha sido así o si algo la llevó a recluirse de esa manera en algún momento de su vida, pero se nos hace fácil empatizar con ella y sentir que debajo de esa superficie hay un ser humano cálido, cercano, que merece y desea más comunicación, más atención y más cariño. Creo que a pesar de la distancia, Fran cae bien y los espectadores queremos acercarnos a ella y hacerla nuestra amiga.
Sometimes I Think About Dying is the second feature film by director Rachel Lambert, who made her debut in 2016 with In the Radiant City. For this opportunity she had a script written by Stefanie Abel Horowitz, Kevin Armento and Katy Wright-Mead, music by Dabney Morris and photography by Dustin Lane. And if all these names don't mean anything to you, perhaps the name of the lead actress should ring a bell: Daisy Ridley.
Sometimes I Think About Dying es el segundo largometraje de la directora Rachel Lambert, quien debutó en 2016 con In the Radiant City. Para esta oportunidad contó con un guión escrito por Stefanie Abel Horowitz, Kevin Armento y Katy Wright-Mead, la música de Dabney Morris y la fotografía de Dustin Lane. Y si todos estos nombres no te dicen nada, tal vez el de la actriz protagonista sí debería sonarte familiar: Daisy Ridley.
I don't think you've seen her act in Ophelia and you may have recently seen her face on the posters for Young Woman and the Sea, but no doubt all - or most - of you have seen her as Rey in the latest Star Wars trilogy. I didn't see that trilogy, but I did recognize her face from some of the trailers and posters, and Daisy is actually playing a completely different character here, but she does it in a great way. Her performance is brilliant and I think she perfectly conveys on screen what life is like for a lonely, somewhat depressed person, one of those who is uncomfortable with social interactions or crowds and who prefers to lead a life on the fringes, with little stimulation or change. It's true that perhaps it's the director's desire to show the things that are missing in Fran's life that has ended up missing something more than necessary, but Sometimes I Think About Dying is a good study of loneliness told with good humor and despite being a film in which very few things happen, those small victories that represent Fran's interactions mean a lot in her case. The ending may not be what we would have wanted in terms of events, but Fran's attitude is reflected in her face and is felt in that gesture she has for the small family that her coworkers represent, it's an important step towards a new life, perhaps not very different on the outside, but maybe yes on the inside. And who knows, maybe from now on Fran will think less and less about dying, has anyone seen this film? I'll read you in the comments.
No creo que la hayan visto actuar en Ophelia y es posible que recientemente hayan visto su rostro en los posters de Young Woman and the Sea, pero sin duda todos - o la mayoría - la habrán visto como Rey en la última trilogía de Star Wars. Yo no vi esa trilogía, pero sí reconocí su rostro de algunos avances y posters, y la verdad es que Daisy interpreta acá un personaje completamente distinto, pero lo hace de gran manera. Su actuación es brillante y creo que logra transmitir perfectamente a la pantalla cómo es la vida de una persona solitaria, algo depresiva, de esas a quienes le incomodan las interacciones sociales o las multitudes y que prefieren llevar una vida al margen, con pocos estímulos o cambios. Es cierto que quizás es ese afán de la directora de mostrar las cosas que faltan en la vida de Fran haya acabado faltando algo más de la cuenta, pero Sometimes I Think About Dying es un buen estudio sobre la soledad contado con buen humor y a pesar de ser una película en la que ocurren muy pocas cosas, esas pequeñas victorias que representan las interacciones de Fran significan mucho en su caso. El final quizá no es el que hubiéramos deseado en términos de acontecimientos, pero la actitud de Fran se refleja en su rostro y se siente en ese gesto que tiene para la pequeña famillia que representan sus compañeros de trabajo, es un paso importante hacia una nueva vida, tal vez no muy diferente en el exterior, pero a lo mejor sí en el interior. Y quién sabe, a lo mejor a partir de ahora Fran piense cada vez menos en morir, ¿alguno ha visto esta película? Los leo en los comentarios.
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This is a film I'd love to watch as it sounds like closely similar to things I was going through. Somehow this kind of film gives me 100 days of summer vibe aesthetics.
More or less I believe we've all been there in that situation and can relate to her character. Greetings.
I haven't seen it, but it catches my attention because of Daisy's performance, she did a great job in Star Wars. Thanks for sharing! 💕
I didn't see Star Wars but heard good things about her performance. Thank you for reading.
It is a film that adapts to the reality of many who live in situations of social frustration, lack of adaptation and personal isolation, which causes momentary thoughts of personal failure and loneliness, reaching a point of feeling as if life is empty without reason.
When that person arrives who pays good attention and importance, life can change color and find good reasons to gain courage and security.
I think it is important to see it to have a better perspective on what really centers the plot. I find it very interesting, I could watch it quietly for reflection.
It is a very reflexive story. Thank you for leaving a comment. Greetings.
😃🤗