Runtime: 3 Hours 16 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
With/In is a series of shot films, each one will get discussed below, with the director, writer and stars next to them.
Thoughts on With/In
Leap – Leap (D. Sanaa Lathan), (W. Margaret Nagle), (S. Sanaa Lathan) Leap follows a Beth (Lathan) as she looks to continue on with her own work from home, with a client over video sessions, seeing the distraction around her home, rather than the withdrawn environment of her office in face-to-face interaction. She will find herself being put in a difficult position, one that will put her own professional position on the line. Leap will show the isolation created because of the pandemic, which will let people learn to embrace their loneliness with a new friend in life, using the reflective look at life to embrace change. 3/5
Coco & Gigi – Coco & Gigi (D. Rosie Perez), (W. Rosie Perez), (S. Rosie Perez, Justina Machado). Coco & Gigi will follow two sisters, Coco (Perez) and Gigi (Machado) as they look to stay in contact every week, seeing the ups and downs they are going through each week during the pandemic, proving that you need support from your loved ones to make it through the hardest parts of life. Coco & Gigi is kept on the simpler side, just showing how important life’s conversations are in the most difficult times. 3/5
Mother!! – Mother!! (D. Maya Singer and Morgan Spector, (W. Maya Singer) (S. Rebecca Hall, Maya Singer, Morgan Spector). Mother!! Follows three friends, (Hall), (Spector) and Dory (Singer) who are living in a remote cabin away from the world during the pandemic, looking to become more self-sufficient in life. The isolation here will create a problem between the friends, one that will see them question everything they have been going through, creating a new idea of life. Mother!! Will bring us into a more disturbing environment for the latest short, one that will make you feel disturbed about what could have gone on in the pandemic. 4/5
Intersection – Intersection (D. Bart Freundlich), (W. Bart Freundlich), (S. Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle, Talia Balsam, Taj Swaminathan-Sipp). Intersection follows Jen (Moore) as she finds herself separated from her family, until her sister arrives, looking to escape her own problems, giving Jen some company through the tough time. The visit will create a divide in the family as they are not sure who to trust in the modern pandemic world. Jen will find herself needing to worry about her husband Jeffrey (Cheadle) and son, as they look to take a stand against racist injustice going on within America. 4/5
One Night Stand – One Night Stand (D. Griffin Dunne), (W. Griffin Dunne, Zonia Pelensky) (S. Griffin Dunne, Zonia Pelensky). One Night Stand follows a man (Dunne) and woman (Pelensky) who have had a one night stand, with the man looking to return home, only to find the travel ban hitting, leaving him with nowhere else to go in New York, finding himself locked in the bathroom, to maintain the separation between the two. This is a strange one, because it shows about learning about people, learning who they are during an impossible time to make dating simple. 3/5
I’m Listening – I’m Listening (D. Mickey Sumner), (W. Michael Lindley, Portia A Buckley). (S. Mickey Sumner, Trudie Styler). I’m Listening will follow Alex (Sumner) as she is looking to raise her baby in this changed world, with only her mother (Styler) to talk to through the growing process, unable to get out of the environment she finds herself trapped in on a daily basis, despite having all the love for her young child. I’m Listening is a story that looks like it is going to be a standard one, but the dark relationship created between mother and Siri, will take centre stage, making you think about what will happening long after the film is finished. 4/5
Neighbourhood Watch – Neighbourhood Watch (D. Sam Nivola), (W. Sam Nivola), (S. Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola, Sam Nivola, May Nivola). Neighbourhood Watch follows a family where father (Alessandro Nivola) is spying on his neighbours, trying to guard is home from anyone who could be infected. His children, Sam and May are looking to escape back to the big city, but they need to figure out how to get past their father. This might well be the weakest of the stories, it puts the spotlight on the children wanting out, but never seems to commit to enough, more just the planning of what they would like. 2/5
In the Air – In the Air (D. Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel) (W. Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel), (S. Bill Camp, Elizabeth Marvel, Silas Camp). In the Air follows a family looking for a break of the stresses the pandemic has bought them, seeing them, escaping to the country just to enjoy some fresh air and see what can come from life when they take a minute to enjoy it. In the Air is one that feels like it could have had even more too, nothing is terrible, it has just as much escaping needing to break it away from the stress of life. 2/5
Still Life – Still Life (D. Arliss Howard), (W. Arliss Howard), (S. Debra Winger, Arliss Howard). Still Life follows a woman Helen (Winger) living away from the world, as she continues her treatment, trying to avoid any and all phone calls coming her way, she is enjoying the peace in her life. Helen is dealing with her own loss in the world, one that will keep her husband around her through her hard times away from the world. Still Life is a story with a much bigger message going on, one that could easily have created more given an extended run time, possible the first one that could have had a longer runtime so far. 4/5
Nuts – Nuts (D. Chris Cooper), (W. Marianne Leone), (S. Chris Cooper, Marianne Leone). Nuts starts as Brian (Cooper) looks to take the custody of his dog Frenchie from her ex-wife (Leone), the pair have a solid relationship despite things going bad, but as the dog is feeling the strain, the pair agree to spend some time together, where they will see the problems, they have been through, as well as describing the problems about the pandemic numbers and people causing them extra stress in life now. This is a nice story about where life can take you, showing that spending time away can keep people closer than before. 3/5
20 Questions – 20 Questions (D. Sebastian Gutierrez), (W. Sebastian Gutierrez) (S. Carla Gugino, Adrianne Palicki). 20 Questions follow Ivy (Gugino) wondering what she could make of her time in lockdown, she lives alone, only finds herself becoming a target of an escape convict (Palicki) who holds her hostage in her own home. This is a story, which will go in a strange direction too, offering a different series of events for everyone to follow, one that is a lot more intense than any we have see to date. 4/5
Touching – Touching (D. Jonathan Cake), (W. Jonathan Cake), (S. Julianne Nicholson, Jonathan Cake, Phoebe Cake, Iggy Cake). Touching starts as we meet a family who have chosen to switch off the screens in their lives, find peace and quiet in the time alone from people. Touching is mostly a celebration of being together as a family, it does feel flat like we could have had a lot more coming out of the story. 1/5
Shell Game – Shell Game (D. Gina Gershon), (W. Gina Gershon), (S. Gina Gershon). Shell Game follows a woman that is dealing with our bad relationship, which will see her wanting to challenge her choices in life, while talking to her cat, the only company she currently has. This is a weak ending of series of stories, it will leave us wanting more rather giving us enough to get behind. 1/5
Final Thoughts – With/In is a series of short stories, each one will be interesting in their own way, despite the final couple of stories being similar and falling short compared to the earlier chapters.
