Sunday, October 20, 2024

NewFest 2024 Review: WHAT A FEELING

Review by: Josh "The Merc" Raynor

They say life is full of mystery and wonder, that you never really know what’s going to happen from one moment to the next. When it comes to love, I believe that holds even more true, because you never know when or where you will meet the person of your dreams, the person who can make you whole again. And this Austrian rom-com dives into that in such a beautiful way.

What A Feeling is the debut feature-length narrative film by writer/director Kat Rohrer, and tells the story of two 40-something women who have a chance encounter that changes everything for them.

I was absolutely blown away by this film. Kat Rohrer did such an amazing job, from the incredible writing, the subtle humor, the pacing… everything. She even managed to make me tear up. But she wasn’t alone in making this film great. The two main characters, Fa and Marie, played by Proschat Madani and Caroline Peters, respectively, had such wonderful chemistry with one another, I was rooting for them the entire time.

Fa is an easy-going free spirit, while Marie is the exact opposite, yet I was able to connect and identify with them both for various reasons. I’ve been a version of both of these characters at different points in my life. My college days were full of free-spirit-living, just seeing where life would take me, and more recently my life became more rigid, and I dealt with a failing marriage and having to start over again. I also identified with Marie on another level as I too discovered a new side of myself late in life, coming out as bisexual at almost forty. It was difficult coming to terms with that side of myself, just as we see Marie struggling throughout the film.

The idea of finding love in your forties can also be difficult, especially when you’ve spent such a significant amount of time with one person, building a life. But, as I said at the beginning of this review, life is full of mystery and wonder, and if you’re not open to the possibilities, you may miss out on something amazing.

This is a film that really reached down and grabbed me by the soul. It made me feel confident that starting over, while scary, may be exactly what is needed. And if that right person comes by, no matter how random it may seem, you have to be willing to let them in and choose happiness over fear.

If you have the opportunity to check out What A Feeling, I highly recommend you do. It’s a beautiful story that’s told amazingly well, and I don’t think you’ll regret it.

 

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