Used and Borrowed Time

"Used and Borrowed Timed," a film written and directed by Sophia Romma, is not a short film to say the least; rather it is a striking, complex portrayal of racism that plagues America. The film divulges its audience into two drastically different time periods of Alabama, that is, the segregated 60s, and that of the present day. The main character, Ava Gold, relives her past through transcendent visions. As she does, she desperately attempts to reconcile with her past and to alter the horrific moments of her life. However, her attempts prove futile as all seems to be predestined. At first glance one might have thought this film was supposed to illustrate the difference between two time periods, but what makes Sophia's film a masterpiece is that it does just the opposite. Her film is monumental as it sheds light on the past and how bigotry remains a constant force in the present.

Used and Borrowed Time is a unique and original film. It's strong cast brings to life a story that needs to be told. It's entertaining, heartfelt and humorous all at the same time. A must see!

The sponsoring producer of this singular cinematic work is a council of the Avant-Garde which is strangely appropriate for a film that borrows heavily from both Fellini and Tarantino. The former because every frame is literally decorated with visual madness and the latter because the dialogue is designed to shock audiences out of their chairs with imagery that runs amok and taste that frequently visits the gutter of modern America.

If you are still with me, I can report that the plot is really only a canvas for the artist to apply her colorful brushstrokes of character and setting. We have an eclectic musical combo as a recurring element placed respectfully front and center in the mix while the action swirls about them like some mad tea party in the woods.

I gave this tour-de-force a rating of "6" because, after the first episode, I needed to take a mental break from the mash-up shenanigans of societal pressures foisted upon my brain. When I am ready for more in-your-face schooling, then I may return but, be fore-warned, binge watching is highly discouraged.

"Used and Borrowed Time" shows that repentance haunts us as individuals throughout our lives if the guilt we carry is not properly faced. Even though we can somehow choose our regrets, there are some aspects in life that the unconscious never overcomes, even when we think we consciously get over these issues. Through the scenery and introduction of the characters, the plot may not be evident at first, but the screenwriter gives us hints about what we need to be aware of before the opening of the actual story. Beginning in present day New York, in one of the most inclusively diverse states, we somehow end up with its doppelganger-dark twin-, Alabama of 1960's, where the plot takes form and shows us the difficulties and penances that occurred during that period through the eyes of an unfortunate encounter of a youthful loving couple-both from different strata of society- at the mercy of a "God-loving" disruptive White family. In effect, both sides of the parties suffer as the victims of the White family's beliefs-mutually, the young couple and the fearful God's family. This film showcases ingenuity and scrutiny in the details that the untrained audience can easily overlook, yet still successfully delivers the author's message while maintaining tension and leaving the audience to question how the story might end after each episode.

The film does a brilliant job of bringing to light the hypocrisy and blatant racism that plagued Alabama in the 1960's, while touching on how racism was/is not exclusively between whites and blacks but rather transcending the color of peoples skin as well as their religion, the way in which the main character is transported to/from the past underscores the inescapable fact the struggle remains very real to this day.