Slipaway

In these times of global conflict, gloomy job markets and action-packed block buster movies, lovers of the offbeat variety kind of fare doesn't have too many contemporary films to enjoy. It was therefore a pleasant surprise to discover this beautiful gem of a movie recently. The film weaves topical themes like drug addiction of the young and loneliness of the elderly into a pleasant story involving an unlikely pair that shows how love and compassion can transform individuals. Watching this 2017 film about compassion for the dregs of society in a World that seems to have gone berserk in 2025 is hugely comforting and reassuring. The problem of de-addiction has also been touched upon in films like Clean (Olivier Assayas) but the medicine employed by the freshman director of Slipaway is a kind of motherly love that has the power to rescue someone who falls into a ditch. The lead pair of Elaine Partnow and Jesse Pepe act brilliantly. The man-woman platonic relationship of the film reminded me of two Mrinal Sen films (Neel Akaser Neechey, Bhuvan Shome) that had such relationships. The film is directed by Julia Butler and Daniel Mentz.

Rating: 4.3 out of 5.