The best ally for poignancy and pathos is a filmmaker that knows how to use both and Dan Elortegui is one of those people. While his DV methods could use a steadier hand, his story of Norman (Richard Little), who harbors regret and still-blooming love for Olivia (Jean Brooks), while his wife (Ann Wood) is sitting next to him is plenty powerful, pushing together the idealism of younger lives and the reflection of older ones. Norman looks at the love of his entire life and flashes back to the days when they were all young, when he watched Olivia from afar and wished that he could be there with her. It’s such a sad moment when Norman believes that it’s still possible that she might love him. But it’s so authentic to the point where it really pierces your heart. There’s a genuine talent at work here, with an amazing insight into human fallacies, and an even greater understanding of how faces and expressions can bring more into a drama than a typical line of dialogue.
