Blue Jay is a pleasant and refreshing take on the romantic relationship and the growing pains of adulthood. The whole film is infused with an aching sense of regret brought on by memories of adolescence and possibilities that would never be. In the course of a largely dialogue-based film, the undercurrent of tension and concealed affection yielded a surprisingly powerful character dynamism in the narrative. The whole time I was watching, it seemed like I was eavesdropping on a personal conversation which exposed some serious character flaws and mistakes. Following the mumblecore subgenre of independent film, Blue Jay beautifully showcases the complexity of human emotion. 

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This film follows the unexpected encounter between Jim and Amanda, two middle-aged adults who have drifted away from each other after high school. Jim invites Amanda to his house and, immersed in that spatial time capsule, they’re reminded about their adolescent selves. In the course of one night in the character’s lives, the audience learns about about both of their pasts, present, and uncertain futures. As they talk, their facades crumble away slowly and they are forced to confront the anguish and anger that they’ve numbed for so long. Through the course of the night Jim and Amanda reminisce, laugh, cry, scream, and smile together. It’s cathartic not only for them but also for an audience that realizes that there are some mistakes in their lives that they also wish they could fix.  

   

If I’m being honest, romantic dramas are possibly the most uninteresting genre in film in terms of both content and packaging. Whenever I’m watching I think to myself: “How many times?” over and over again. How many times am I going to see tired characterizations of beautiful adolescents using romantic love as a means of ‘finding themselves’? How many times will I see the same montages of slow-motion dancing and smiling? Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the genre. What I do have a problem with is the lack of innovation and the romanticisation of reality. I may enjoy watching cheesy banter and bad pick-up lines once in a while, but it gets boring pretty soon! 

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In any film, the anchor of the narrative is character. Audiences can accept even the most far-fetched science fictions and the most unbelievable historical dramas because the characters act as a reflection of the audience. As a consequence, the outlandish narrative circumstances become vestigial and audiences are able to empathize with characters. Most romantic dramas fail in feigning that realism and coaxing empathy from an audience. That’s where Blue Jay stands out.

   

There are two specific ways in which this narrative separates itself from other films in its genre. Firstly, it blends the romantic drama genre with the mumblecore sub-genre, which adds depth to the traditional romance. Secondly by making specific stylistic choices such as using a black-and-white filter and consistently using horizontal wide shots, it establishes the atmosphere of the film.

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Let’s talk about mumblecore. It’s a sub-genre of film that independent filmmakers use when they basically have no production budget (not kidding). More often than not, the content of these films often have to do with personal discovery and/or mid-life crises in the lives of ‘average people’. This manifests itself in the form of raw conversations in naturalistic settings that mimic real life. Often there’s no clear protagonist or antagonist which allows filmmakers to showcase each character in their numerous protagonistic and antagonistic shades. One of the most amazing things about how this genre was integrated into Blue Jay is that there is virtually no plot, in the traditional sense. Events didn’t happen to Jim and Amanda. Through their organic conversation, the details they revealed increased the tension between them which prompted either the conversation to progress or the location to change.

 

Although there is a lack of direct action, the intricate gestures, facial expressions, and choice of words of both actors is very captivating. For example, in the diner when Jim asks Amanda to talk about her life and she starts to describe her husband and kids, Jim begins to tear up but smiles and embarrasedly dismisses it as ‘because of the bad coffee’. Eventually, the audience learns that Jim is not married, just lost his Mother, beat up his Uncle, then lost his job, and still harbours feelings for Amanda. The delayed reveal of details validate the characters’ prior actions. This is especially true for the ending. The revelation that Jim and Amanda were about to become parents at a young age and that was the cause of their split is just the type of subtext that the audience can use to understand the characters’ reluctance to open up to each other, even after so many decades in the beginning of the film. 
     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The director of this film is also it’s cinematographer, which means that he had almost complete autonomy in the content and construction of the film. It also means that many of his stylistic choices were very personal and intentional. A black and white filter can be a very classy choice for directors who want to make things look more high quality than they actually are. In the case of Blue Jay, a film that had only a few thousand dollars as a budget and completed shooting in about a week, it’s believable to assume that their equipment wasn’t particularly elaborate. However, adding a black and white filter seems to simplify and mellow a very emotional story and is a nod to ‘the way romance used to be’, without it’s bells and whistles. Another detail to note is the integration of scenic wide shots between location or tone changes. It seems as if the director wants the audience to take a breath of fresh air after each segment of conversation and enjoy the scenic town. This technique is very calming and allows time for the audience to quietly deconstruct and reflect on Jim and Amanda’s conversation thus far. It also slows down the pace of the film and allows the audience to relax. For a first-time director, it’s quite a risk not to have details pertaining to the immediate plot in every scene. These wide shots assure us of this director’s trust in himself and in his story.

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I could honestly continue this review for much longer but it needs to end sometime. So, I’ll conclude by saying that Blue Jay is a beautifully shot and wonderfully well thought out film that displays the beauty and ugliness of human nature. It’s a gem tucked away in the crevices of Netfilx and I encourage you all to view and enjoy this film.