In Leave It All Behind, writer, director, and star Paul Santoli plays Paul, an actor with a head full of big dreams and mighty schemes. He has a beautiful girl, Rose (Cassandra Lebron), by his side. Only problem is his reach exceeds his grasp, and a relationship like a career is a garden that grows when nourished and wilts under neglect. So, Rose leaves; she can’t compete with Paul’s obsession.
Now, the dreary actor struggles to master his craft while repeatedly recording himself learning speeches and great dialogue, trying to find the sweet spot between conviction and delivery. But the grind is merciless, and no matter how much Paul denies his pleasures in favor of practice, he struggles to gather the funds needed to aid in lifting him out of obscurity. With his relationship nonexistent a heavy heart, and frail hope, Paul’s workmate forwards him news of an audition.
“With his relationship nonexistent a heavy heart, and frail hope, Paul’s workmate forwards him news of an audition.”
Dreams don’t die unless you let them. On the brink of surrendering to despair, the actor auditions and gives way to the long, terrible wait. Minutes seem like hours, hours like days, days like years. Then, out of the blue, a call. The call all actors long for. “We want you to come in and read for us.” Now our actor has to choose. To take all of his meager winnings and risk them all at a game of pitch and toss with fate. Having crept the boards in my youth, this reviewer is well aware of the day-to-day struggle of doing the actor thing, and Leave It All Behind took me right back to that bitter-sweet grind.
Leave It All Behind comes together in a satisfying, Good Will Hunting type way. In order to succeed at anything, you need desire and repetition. We never know the true cost of our dreams, but as Bukowski once wrote: “if you’re going to try, go all the way. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs, and maybe your mind.” But sometimes that is what it takes to run down a dream.
"…what it takes to run down a dream..."
