Isn’t it sexy when a man and woman converse about worldviews and politics? I mean, romance and poetry are fine and all, but without proper, meaningful conversations, a relationship barely survives in the long run, right? And it’s particularly important that you have these talks about everything from food to the legal system during the formative stages of the relationship. In her latest short, At Capacity, Spencer Jamison taps into that and delivers a fascinating story that is both wholesome and relevant for the real world, all within the span of twenty minutes or so. Jamison directs, co-writes, and also acts as the lead, Mia, and she nails it in every single department.
It’s interesting that the set-up of At Capacity is tailor-made for a romance. Andrew (who never appears) wants to break up with his girlfriend, Maxine, for reasons unknown. But he doesn’t have it in him to drop the bomb on her. So what does he do? Hire his cousin Ari and send him to do it instead, on his behalf. At a restaurant, Ari methodically explains why Andrew and Maxine shouldn’t be together, only to realize the woman he’s talking to is not Maxine but her sister, Mia. In case you’re wondering why or how Ari doesn’t recognize her, that gets cleared up right away. At Capacity starts with Ari in the middle of his explanation and Mia looking at him with her head cocked, It almost feels like randomly noticing a man and woman in a restaurant, sitting at the table beside you, and you can’t help but eavesdrop on what they’re talking about – because it’s interesting, and exciting.
But does it all mean At Capacity is lacking when it comes to the romance quotient? I say absolutely not. From the moment you see Ari and Mia, you know it’s there. The spark, or chemistry, or whatever you want to call it, these two definitely have it going on. You know for a fact that there’s a romance on the cards. But it’s never predictable, and you can’t stop rooting for them. It’s not quite meet-cute, but no less than that either. Ari and Mia do get off on the wrong foot, but it doesn’t turn into a flimsy fight, like what you see in standard romantic comedies. Instead, they casually bond over food before getting into the conversation. And it’s so real that you wish something like this would happen to you. Or you’d like to become friends with these two, at least. One of the most fascinating things here is that the entire conversation doesn’t at all seem fake. They talk like normal people. She works in politics; he’s a public defender. It’s further revealed that he also happens to be a nerd who hasn’t dated for a year. Funnily enough, these two can fit right into both kinds of Richard Linklater narratives, be it Slacker or the Before Trilogy.
Both Jamison and Jake Ryan Lozano, who plays Aro, are phenomenal in their respective roles here. No matter how well-written the film may be, it wouldn’t ever work with a lesser actor, so these two deserve all the credit for carrying the story on their shoulders. Lozano, in particular shines, playing the very affable Ari. Of course, that happens because he gets to mouth more dialogue than his screen partner. Jamison’s performance is more subtle here and adequately complements Lozano’s. You also get to see the real Maxine, and actor Zainab Bari goes full hysteric in her only scene. Joy Hana Park, who plays Mia and Maxine’s roommate Audre, also gets to be on the screen for only about a minute or two, but she is adequately hilarious.
What makes a good short story? The answer to that is fairly simple—you crave for more when it leaves you. It should feel like there’s more left to say, and you keep speculating about what can or will happen. The reason I am bringing this up is, of course, because At Capacity completely fulfills the criteria. It would function very well as a cute little short story you read in The New Yorker while waiting at the airport.
Now, the obvious question that pops up with every short film is: can the same story be made into a feature film? I would say both “yes” and “no” to that, in the context of At Capacity. There’s a huge possibility of the story losing its charm if it is moved forward. Ari and Mia might just turn into typical rom-com movie characters, stuck in the genre template. However, I’m more inclined to the positive answer here. From what Spencer Jamison has managed to pull off in just about twenty minutes, there’s no reason to believe she wouldn’t be able to pull off a “The Way He Looks” (possibly the greatest short film to feature transformation in recent times), if she’s given a bigger budget and larger time frame. And if it ever happens, I would certainly want Jamison and Lozano to play the lead roles, which should be a no brainer. But on the off chance that A24 Studios (because this short pretty much screams A24) wants to bring more recognizable stars on board, Rachel Sennott and Andrew Garfield might just be the perfect casting. I know, I am going off the rails here a bit. But “at capacity” is that good only. You can’t stop thinking about it and wish for more once you experience it.
