Let Judy Greer lead more movies. Hollywood has tons of underappreciated actors, but it is easy to make a case for the great Judy Greer. Always up to the task to bring her A-game regardless of the role, she gets to be the lead in director Jared Moshé’s new film, Aporia. Her strong performance is supported by two more from Edi Gathegi and Payman Maadi. The performances all help build an intriguing science fiction story tinged with ethical debates that make for a one heck of a film.
Sophie (Greer) is grieving the sudden loss of her husband, Mal (Gathegi), to a drunk driver almost a year later. Struggling with life and being a single parent to their daughter (Faithe Herman), she is about to reach her breaking point. Jabir (Maadi), Mal’s best friend and physicist, presents her with an opportunity to potentially use an experimental machine that he’s secretly been working on for years. He asserts that the machine could potentially restore a part of her life thought to be lost, but the potential consequences of using it will be entirely unforeseeable. It’s a choice that would be difficult for anyone to make, but equally impossible to resist.
Sometimes, the best science fiction is the one that barely asks the audience to step out of reality. Everything about the film feels real, except for the machine that Jabir has created. In reality, the machine itself is unremarkable and feels like something you could see in someone’s garage who maybe had too much free time. You’d see it, roll your eyes, and nod in pretend acceptance and understanding knowing full well it’s just a pile of junk. Moreover, you’d hear the ramblings of your friend, and either assume they’ve drunk too much or have completely lost their mind. At this point, science fiction inserts itself, because when your friend activates the machine in the real world nothing would happen – but here is the magic of cinema: it works! How Moshé chooses to reveal that the machine does what is claimed while allowing us to become witnesses to the impact that machine has on the world is what makes the film work so well. Each beat is clearly focused and will feel familiar to anyone who has ever debated the possibilities of what is on display in the film.
The hardest part about discussing Aporia and the successes that it has is the fear of spoiling the experience. How much can one say without altering the audience’s experience of the film? It’s clearly so meticulously structured to reveal pieces of the themes and story, that including too much here would be a disservice. Still, this is a film that will stay with you when you walk away, pondering what would you have done if you found yourself in similar circumstances.
Aporia is at the Fantasia International Film Festival 2023.
Rating: Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy
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