I Act, I Am (Miroslav Mandic, 2019): Slovenia

Reviewed by Nicholas DeBruno. Viewed at the 2019 Santa Barbara International Film Festival

I Act, I Am,  a character drama directed by Miroslav Mandic (Adria Blues and Short Skin), explores the idea that an actors role doesn’t end when the film or play ends production. The film, consisting of three short vignette like stories, follows the lives of three actors and how the love for their roles cause them to abandon them. Seeking a greater sense of escapism the actors are forced to ask the question, is all of life just one big act? Through the use of clever cinematography, phenomenal performances, and a unique black and white look at modern day Slovenia this film gives the audience a cinematic experience that will not be easily forgotten.

Throughout most of the film a shaky cam style of cinematography is employed by director of photography, Mitja Licen, giving the film a very personal feel. This really helps to draw the audience into the narrative. This is compounded by the amazingly convincing performances given throughout the different stories. In one example our main character of the first of three vignettes, Lina, is driving a car and suddenly brakes. When she breaks the momentum of the camera follows with the breaking of the car dramatically. This was unique and something that, though I had never seen before, worked incredibly well in the context of the film.

This film and its exploration of an actors life after a role will draw you in with its intriguingly complex, yet easily digestible plot but you will stay for the incredible atmosphere and mood that Mandic and his team was able to accomplish. Keeping a general theme of the emptiness of life with deep roots in classic existentialism this film is far from a happy one. That being said, with the right mindset, this film has a lot to say about the human condition and more specifically about the everyday acts that we as humans put on each and every day to satisfy those around us.