Review: HELOISE WILSON SHINES IN WEEZY GOES OUTSIDE

The world can be all of a mystical, bittersweet, and surprising place as it most fully is when realized through the eyes of Heloise Wilson, the creator, co-producer, and star of the charming and whimsical film, WEEZY GOES OUTSIDE.

The 16-minute short centers on a dilemma that any of us who have loved and lost a pet have confronted. How do we caringly and respectfully dispose of our dear friend?

If this was the only question to be addressed, this story of a devoted and grieving pet owner would be heart rending enough. Cheer up, though! The film makers have something more uplifting in mind with what amounts to a delightful cine-epiphany about fidelity, love, and eternal life ~ capped by way of a wry surprise ending.

In an age of littered beaches, sewage overflows, and the perils of fracking, we need to be reminded of the little things that matter ~ hence, one's dear pet ~ and the magic that can unexpectedly enter our lives.

Wilson delivers a sterling and poignant portrayal of Weezy, a young woman whose Sunday way of life is disrupted by the abrupt death of her cherished goldfish Booboo. This is no ordinary relationship. Booboo not only holds a prominent position on Weezy's night table but has been her international traveling companion, having seen the likes of the Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, and the Colosseum, all through a glass bowl held with care in Weezy's embrace.

Yes, Booboo deserves a send-off befitting her status!

There is no shortage of precious moments in this film, accentuated by Joel Crane's keen eye for the tones and pace of urban life and Daniel Rufolo's vibrant (with a decidedly jazzy European flavor) music. One scene after another ~ running a range of emotion ~ evokes both sympathy for Weezy and an abiding admiration for her tenacity and dedication to a higher purpose.

For example: Wilson/Weezy owned me the minute she sought to revive Booboo with a homemade improvised defibrillator!

No amount of consolation from her roommate Flynn (Imran Sheikh) that Booboo is on the way to "the big fishbowl in the sky" will distract her from her new mission. Nor will the last minute call from her boss from hell, Michelle aka Satan (Cathy Salvodon), to cover a Pokemon Go birthday party be heeded. Weezy is dead-set on honoring Booboo with a beloved's burial at sea.

Consumed with grief but striding with fortitude and determination, Weezy embarks on a funerary journey to Coney Island.

As she traverses the crosswalks of the city, snow or shine, somber and steadfast, veiled and dressed in black, reverently embracing what is now a glass casket, Weezy the mourner withstands stoically the weird distractions of urban life, curious looks, train delays, and missed buses.

A pivotal moment occurs as she's stranded at a bus stop on the B36/B74 line of the MTA. Like an angel from heaven, a public transportation worker (with a knack for karaoke) named Charles appears. Geoff Lee is terrific as not only a sounding board to Weezy's grievances about the apparent lies of life and the mixed fortunes of the year but also, as fate would have it, a pied piper of optimism and illumination. Together, the two proceed to the boardwalk and beach of Coney Island.

What transpires at the shoreline as Weezy is prepared to release Booboo and what ensues thereafter...well, that's the spice that makes this film a delicious and revelatory experience. You have to see it to relish it...and happily applaud its message of rejuvenation.

WEEZY GOES OUTSIDE is one in a series of award-winning productions developed by Little y, a film and theatre company, under the artistic direction of Mischa Ipp, "committed to exploring the power and complexity of marginalized women by starting with a little question."

WEEZY GOES OUTSIDE, which premiered at the Lighthouse International Film Festival in June of this year, will be one of the featured Comedy Shorts at the Coney Island Film Festival and available for virtual screening between September 22nd and October 2nd. Thereafter, the film will move on to the Soho International Film Festival from October 15th to the 22nd.

Photo credit to Bruna Lacerda

Additional credits

Produced by Heloise Wilson, Edan Jacob Levy and Mischa Ipp

Directed by Daniel Tenenbaum

Other cast: Edan Jacob Levy, Brooke Turner

Cinematography by Joel Crane

Production Design by Kimberly Matela

Sound Mixing by Diego Julca

Edited by Daniel Tenenbaum

Composition and Sound Edit by Daniel Rufolo

Little y ~ www.littley.co ~ 917-213 5460

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