Disconnect (Henry-Alex Rubin, 2012)

Reviewed by Cecilia Gonzalez. Viewed at Arlington Theater, Santa Barbara

We are all too connected to our technologies, and too disconnected from reality. When our reality consists of so many unpredictable events then we learn to reevaluate what caused us to venture so far off from what is real, and true.
“This is how I show my love,I made it in my mind because I blame it on my A.D.D. baby.This is how an angel dies, I blame it on my own sick pride. Blame it on my A.D.D. baby. Maybe I should cry for help. Maybe I should kill myself (myself)…..Maybe I’m a different breed. Maybe I’m not listening. So blame it on my A.D.D. baby.” (Awolnation, Sail).The intensive heart-pounding anthem begins this film with a rhythmic feeling that grasped my attention immediately. It was also reflective of some of the the characters feelings. Ben Boyd is a lonely boy who has a warm heart, but feels unheard.
Cindy and Derek have lost each other in a tragic event that they’re each trying to over come. Nina is a successful young reporter who seeks a new story while trying to help an adolescent male. Kyle is a young man involved in a business that’s connects him to the more “intimate” cyber-world, and Jason is a warrior on the exterior, but is really seeking love from his father.
As sung in the lyrics of the opening song, we are all keen to blame our mistakes on something else, as well as blame ourselves for simply not paying closer attention, but it’s our ability to take a moment to acknowledge our mistakes and evaluate how we can fix them that makes us powerful and ultimately helps us overcome the less than pleasant obstacles in life. The characters in the film all went through the reality of dealing with their cyber issues after they were confronted with the horrifying outcome of their choices. Because of this, the film reminds us to be more aware of our choices online.
This film demonstrates that asking for help and working with our loved ones to solve the problem is what makes us the human beings that we are. We have language to help us communicate, and when we feel helpless, courage helps us to use it, not the other non-verbal language required devices. But, when we feel more helpless and fear weakens us from confronting our problems, we choose to become helpless, and force the issue to be non-existent. In the end we have no one else to blame, but ourselves, not the internet, tablets, or cell phones, the devices didn’t force us to be disconnected.
The unexpected series of events creates a somewhat spontaneous mosaic of events with the emotionally distraught characters. Each character has many pieces to them that bring this film’s various emotional moments for one character, but dark and sad for others. An outcast may feel lonely, a lonely boy may want love, a successful reporter may want to help a young adolescent, a young adolescent may want to be successful, a young man and women may want to seek just for themselves, and reach closure for their deceased baby boy, all of these scenarios were united in Disconnect.
Each character had an emotional struggle to cope with, and the way they coped with those struggles determined how their story unfolded throughout the film. The climax of the film occurs in unison for each story. This created a heartfelt reaction and multi-sympathy for all the scenarios. The four films come together at the end to create the turning point that creates the last bit of suspense for the film.
We must all be careful who we open our worlds to because as beautifully and masterfully created in this film, our worlds could be twisted upside down. This film creates an intense and emotional world that could be a good reminder as to how we use the devices that have become so ubiquitous in todays world. We are all put on this earth for a reason, therefore we should all be treated with the upmost respect that we deserve. Whether it be face to face, or facebook chat to facebook chat, the respect for all humans shouldn’t be abused, otherwise you could just log-off, and get re-connected to the world that is true.