Two women meet each other on the Ferris wheel at a large Beach Boardwalk on a chilly afternoon. They’re both alone so they decide to sit together on the ride and begin chatting about the Nietzsche book one of them is reading and soon the conversation spins into what the cycle of the two women’s relationship might be like if they were to begin dating. Like the Ferris wheel itself the fantasy relationship goes ‘round reaching an apex before it’s inevitable down slope and thus is the basic premise of Jason Knade’s beautifully shot short film “Cyclicity.”
While the performances are fine and the shots lovely, the allegory involved in the film felt a little too simplified for me. I was also confused as to the real relationship between the women in terms of whether or not they previously knew each other and this is all a role play or if we’re supposed to believe they could begin talking so frankly and openly about one another after having just met.
“Cyclicity” has done very well on the festival circuit and I can see why. The cinematography is gorgeous and the acting is solid. There are several nice, insightful moments in the women’s relationship and I like the basic idea of the Nietzchean ideals tied-in with the Ferris wheel allegory about the cycle of a relationship. But for me the film suffers in it’s oversimplification of relationships.
Sure, many do go up, down and around but obviously there’s smaller moments in between and these are eschewed by the film mainly to stay attached to the allegory Knade has set-up. That, coupled with the lack of clarity on how these women know each other (if they do at all), made me feel like the filmmaker was overreaching a bit. Still, “Cyclicity” is a nice little romantic short film about the rise and fall of a relationship and it’s clear Knade has a wonderful eye.
This film was submitted for review through our Submission for Review system. If you have a film you’d like us to see, and we aren’t already looking into it on our own, you too can utilize this service.
