SOFTNESS OF BODIES (2018)

Starring Dasha Nekrasova, Morgan Krantz, Nadine Dubois

Directed by Jordan Blady

Screenplay by Jordan Blady

74 minutes. This film is not yet rated. Now available to stream on VOD sites including Amazon and Vimeo.

Art loosely imitates life in writer/director Jordan Blady’s stylish feature film Softness of Bodies.

Starring real-life poet Dasha Nekrasova as a struggling artist trying to make a living in Berlin’s competitive art scene, this dark comedy plays perfectly into the stereotype of the entitled millennial and the assumption that creative drive will equal monetary success. Unfortunately, like most people working in the arts, our protagonist learns the hard way that just because you want something, doesn’t mean you are destined to have it.

Charlotte Parks (Nekrasova) is an American poet living in Berlin on a year-long arts grant. She pours coffee at a cafe during the day, steals clothing from the local mall in the afternoons, and attends poetry slams at night. Her routine is unconventional but stable. That is until a tidal wave of changes hit her, hard. First, Franz (Moritz Vierboom) the man she was having an affair with breaks up with her. Next, her ex-boyfriend Oliver (Morgan Krantz) unexpectedly shows up in town, along with resurfacing emotions and feelings. And then, Charlotte’s kleptomaniac ways catch up with her, literally, when she is caught stealing and forced to pay 800 euro or risk jail time. All of this happens while she is struggling to make ends meet and can barely afford her next meal, let alone pay her way out of trouble, but a silver lining of hope appears when she learns that she is a finalist for a poetry grant in a major competition. The question is, can she overcome her personal baggage in order to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a recognized poet?

Softness of Bodies can be a frustrating watch when the script focuses on Charlotte’s unrelenting sense of entitlement and narcissism, but its stylish vibe has a way of romanticizing being young in a foreign city. Chain-smoking in a Berlin bar while working through emotions from past lovers has a nostalgic attachment that feels whimsical. The Euro-electro synth score adds to the uncertainty of Charlotte’s future and the volatile nature of her situation.

Dasha Nekrasova’s performance is raw and untraditional, she plays the “victim” card well. Nekrasova ends every sentence with a downward inflection, giving off a vibe of arrogance and whininess, making it hard to sympathize or feel sorry for her. When things don’t go her way, she complains without showing any true effort to right her wrongs, but that’s not to say that Charlotte doesn’t learn lessons, she just learns them the hard way.

A thrilling and engaging watch, Softness of Bodies is a solid debut from first-time narrative feature film director Jordan Blady. It will appeal to the viewer who can identify with the struggling artist existence, and this coupled with the original poetry from Dasha Nekrasova herself, makes Softness of Bodies a full artistic experience. 

This review originally ran on September 27, 2018 during the LA Film Festival