The Drama Asks You to Think Twice

What defines a good or bad person? How do we give such a label to a human being?  Is it built upon what they think, what they believe, or what they actually, physically do? How much does their past matter if they seem to have actually changed? These are just some of the questions that The Drama asks us to ruminate over. Through the vehicle of a dark dramedy, it encourages us to put ourselves into the character’s shoes and makes us question how we form judgements and how (and when) we are willing to forgive.

The Drama is best experienced without knowing the basic premise.  The less you learn about the film, the better. Honestly, the trailers give viewers all the information needed. Charlie (Robert Pattinson) and Emma (Zendaya) are extremely uncomfortable around each other a few days before their wedding. The exact reason for their discomfort is best left hidden. All we know is that they can’t even manage to give an authentic smile at their photo shoot.

Something has happened to their relationship before their most special day. A secret of some sort has been revealed.  Will this secret be the end of their coupling, or will they manage to weather this dark storm?

Both Zendaya and Pattinson play their characters perfectly, keeping our sympathy for both Emma and Charlie, regardless of what we discover about them. Emma is the sweetheart, willing to overlook what other people would be upset about, such as a DJ doing heroin. Charlie is up in his head most of the time, fixated on small issues that cloud his judgment.  We root for this relationship, wanting it to survive. But we must also ask ourselves, if we knew what they knew, would we be able to keep going as well?  Or would we walk away?  Would we continually lie while we let it play out, or would we be open and upfront about our feelings?

These questions keep the film’s atmosphere tense in the best possible way, always pulling you further into the complications. And some of these complications are, admittedly, quite funny.  This film is also dark in both its humor and its subject matter. It’s unafraid to venture into extremely heavy and morally complex territory, territory that American citizens will definitely be familiar with, given the current times. Viewers will definitely have opinions on this subject matter. The film is brave in asking us to sympathize with a questionable character who had both extremely dark thoughts and almost acted upon them.

Emma and Charlie’s friends are also drawn into The Drama. Alan Haim plays Rachel, Emma’s maid of honor, while Charlie’s best man, Mike, is played by Mamoudou Athie. It’s easy to hate Haim’s character, but her reactions to the situation are realistic and could easily be any one of us. Athie’s Mike is agreeable and handles the situation with as much maturity as one could expect.

The soundtrack matches the mood of the film from the couple’s opening meet-cute to the tense situations that they encounter as the wedding day draws ever closer.  The film has no fancy cinematography; it’s not overly stylistic.  Instead, it takes its time, letting characters breathe, especially in the more important moments.

Once again, Pattinson displays his character’s insecurities quite realistically.  There are a few times in the movie where he goes into full meltdown mode. From a reviewer who sometimes panics as well, he pulled these off with skill.  He’s come far since his cheesy performance in Twilight.  Here, he mixes a comical performance, always on the edge of a breakdown.

Zendaya plays sweetheart with a heart of gold, but she yearns for acceptance. Emma’s relationship with Charlie is the first one she’s ever had, and her character is in her 30’s.  She gets butterflies at the thought of being able to call him her boyfriend. She’s naive, but she’s also world weary and carries heavy burdens.

Ultimately, The Drama explores both characters handling of the film with expertise, exploring its thematic ground with maturity and dark, yet still affective humor. The narrative leaves a strong impression. A movie like this is a conversation starter.

The questions that these characters and narrative bring to the forefront endear us to both of them. In real life, we may also see people such as these, ones that hide dark secrets, ones that are searching for approval and forgiveness.  Don’t we all have these traits?  Don’t we all want forgiveness for our worse times as well? The film asks us to look inside and to dwell on these issues.  Those damaged people (as are we) are looking for respite.  Will we give it to them?