Blumenthal

Reviewed by Sandra Doyle. Viewed at the Metropolitan 4 Theatre, Santa Barbara. For his first feature film “Blumenthal” Seth Fisher wrote fantastically witty dialogue, directed a polished feature, and even played the main character to perfection. Fisher excels as a multi-talented artist who did his vision indisputable justice on the screen, a feat not easily accomplished especially when faced with the challenges of being involved and responsible for so many different aspects of a feature. Shot in NYC, a fast paced introduction gets audiences on their toes as we follow the feet of Ethan Blumenthal in a pair of flawlessly white shoes as he patters across city sidewalks and into a quirky, emotionally challenged, and disgruntled young man’s life. We follow Ethan and then his family as they cope with the loss of his uncle, Harold Blumenthal, a celebrated playwright who ironically died while laughing at his own joke. Irony seems to be a theme along with shoe fetishes, unmet needs and their resulting underlying tensions. The characters that writer, director, and actor Seth Fisher has created are relatable and loveable as we follow them and observe the way they all cope with the same event so differently. Touching on the struggles of aging, Ethan’s mother is having difficulty accepting her appearance and considers cosmetic surgery; ultimately she wants to be paid a little more attention to by Saul, her husband. Saul has some very personal physical issues as well. Ever since his brother’s death he has been having trouble moving his bowels as a result of an unresolved dispute and the envy Saul Blumenthal harbors as a fellow writer. Yet amongst all of the anterior turmoil Ethan Blumenthal himself is perhaps the most intriguing character due to his unpredictable yet brutally honest comments and his overall ineptitude when it comes to maintaining any form of a caring relationship. Ethan seeks his perfect woman, yet audiences will find him somewhat hypocritical when considering his flaws. Ethan’s struggles make us wonder if he is capable of love, how it can be difficult to love someone, and how people can have very different ways of showing it. The combination of crisp editing and Ethan’s inner thoughts create a quick and interesting look into the life of the contemporary metropolitan bachelor and the life he inhabits in contrast to his parents.  Aside from the many laughs, audiences learn that much like Saul’s stubborn bowels, when mourning we cannot hold it all in for too long. A delightfully entertaining and satirical film, Seth Fisher created a high quality, seamless feature that leaves audiences wanting more from this talented man. Overall this film captures your attention because of the heart that lies within the writing and the characters that Seth Fisher inhabits along with all of us. Fortunately, great acting backed up the impeccable dialogue and was complimented by creative cinematography. Blumenthal will appeal to anyone, as most of us can relate to struggling with love and coping with loss. It is a breath of fresh air to see light shed on even the dark times that families can face. Fisher takes a typically heavy event and finds the comedic aspects and the humor that can truly arise out of any given situation.