Blumenthal (Seth Fisher, 2012): US

Reviewed by Cecilia Gonzalez. Viewed at Metropolitan Metro 4, Santa Barbara.

A small budget film can be made well. The soulful and comedic Seth Fisher film is made with a bright introduction of a beautiful woman. Then, we are introduced to the lead male protagonist, Ethan. However, seems to be not only the protagonist, but his own antagonist as well. His lack of emotional intimacy and affection with his then girlfriend, Christina appears to be one of his biggest flaws, and seems to be irritated by the mere crunching of her cereal. Should a women’s loud crunching become the deal breaker in a relationship, or should we learn to appreciate one’s simple yet temporary flaws? Ethan contemplates the idea, and throws down the “we need to talk” statement. The four worst words a woman can hear, especially first thing in the morning. Besides being somewhat of a presumptuous soul, Ethan also contains flaws of his own.
Ethan’s father is also seeking closure from his uncle, the late Harold Blumenthal. Blumenthal, whom the film is named after appears to be an eccentric, creative, free-spirited playwright whom is Ethan’s uncle, and  Saul’s brother. It’s been five days since Blumenthal has passed away and Saul is having a hard time coping with it. It appears there were various mixed feelings within the family about Blumenthal.
Ethan is dressed in his very professional work attire as a “drug dealer”. He confides in his friend about his various decisions in his relationship, and his opinion about what he should do. Ethan’s a swift talking young man. With little room to contemplate in between his sentences, he appears to say things quickly as they become a thought to his head, this, leading him to get into trouble with certain ladies in his life, but it creates a very comedic aspect to the film.
Ethan appears to also be very attached to certain things in his life–leaving little room for change. For instance, his shoes are nurses shoes which he appears to wear all the time, despite their unattractive style paired with his suit. This may be reflective of Ethan wanting to be comfortable, and have structure in his life. He has certain things in life he likes, and he wants only those specific things attached to him and who he is.
All in all this is a love story, with Ethan being the binding of everyone in his family. His mother and father are each going through their emotional issues, and Ethan has his own issue to deal with in which he comes to terms with and handles in a very civil matter. This film follows the hardships we all go through as we develop, grow, and evolve into the mature human beings we all aspire to become. Just as presented in this film, Ethan learns to work with his problems that arise, as well as Saul and his wife Cheryl. She deals with her changing body and mind, and how she goes about carrying her confidence is reflective of her success. She aspires to be successful in her pursuit as an actress and in the eyes of her husband Saul.
This film has a piece of a story that everyone could relate to. We all grieve differently, want to look beautiful in the eyes of our lover, feel appreciated and acknowledged by those we love, and want to age gracefully–well women at least, and for the most part, we do.