Alive - En vie

The first - beautiful performance of Eva Johansson. The second- great portrait of aphasic person and her assistant. The three - the grace of unspoken things. A beautiful short film about loneliness, need of the other touch, about the need to be perceived as normal and about the duties, out of their expected, of a carer.

Greetings again from the darkness. Swedish filmmaker Jimmy Olsson follows up his excellent 2018 short film 2ND CLASS with another gem that cuts to the core of what it means to be human.

Ida (Madeleine Martin) is caregiver to wheelchair-bound Viktoria (Eva Johansson), who also has challenges with her speech. We learn quickly that Viktoria is very sharp and quite funny ... and also extremely frustrated with her situation. After teasing Ida about her boyfriend Bjorn (Joel Odmann), director Olsson delivers a terrific sequence. We watch alternating shots displaying the contrast between Ida and Bjorn in bed, and Viktoria being put to bed by her evening caregiver. So much is relayed with these shots.

Ida agrees to help Viktoria create a Tinder profile, but once she has a match, Viktoria's protective instincts kick in. The film excels are reminding us how we are each desperate to feel alive - something that no amount of therapy can replace. Another excellent outing from filmmaker Olsson.

Jimmy Olsson's Alive is a short film that tells the story of Viktoria (Eva Johansson), a disabled woman who yearns for intimacy, and her carer Ida (Madeleine Martin), who offers her help by setting her up a Tinder profile. When Viktoira matches with someone, Ida begins to worry about the nature of his intentions and what would happen if they were to meet.

Alive may be a short that only runs at twenty-three minutes but that doesn't stop it from having a lot to say in that time, moreso than a number of feature length films as a matter of fact. It's a well shot piece and Olsson's writing allows us to see that frustration of Viktoria as well as the caring nature of Ida, her caring nature leading her to become conflicted with herself as she wanta to help her friend but also doesn't want to put her in danger.

It's the relationship between Viktoria and Ida that really drives the film forward and in Eva Johansson and Madeliene Martin, Alive has a pair devoted to showcasing Olsson's message while making their relationship feel so believable. Johansson does a great job in conveying the frustration of living such a constricted life while Martin shines in the role of a carer wanting to help but also not wanting to put her friend in jeapordy. Together they share a believable chemistry where a true friendship has formed, Olsson including some nice comedic moments in the script to show it as more than just a relationship between a patient and a carer.

Alive is an eye-opening short film that focuses on the feeling of being alive and wanted, Olsson showcasing a neat eye for delivering a message and getting fine performances from his cast.