It's difficult to imagine two more perfectly cast leads than Shane P. Allen and John Wilcox in If You Should Leave Before Me, a lovely and engaging drama that has a million ways to go wrong and yet never does.
Co-writers/directors J. Markus Anderson and Boyd Anderson have crafted a magical little gem of a film centered around Mark (Shane P. Allen) and Joshua (John Wilcox), an instantly believable couple who've experienced years with each other amidst all of life's ups and downs. When a tragedy strikes, their seemingly inseparable bond begins to reveal shards of friction both new and long bubbling beneath the surface.
The cleverness of the story, which somehow never feels like a gimmick, is that as we watch the two avoid dealing with their shared grief in favor of leaning into their work, ironically work involving guiding troubled souls to the afterlife, we watch unfold a deeply moving story about love and loss.
If You Should Leave Before Me is a thoughtful film, grounded in its love story yet expressing so much more. The humanity is rich and real here, both Allen and Wilcox understatedly bringing to life the film's intimacies and surprisingly abundant humor. By film's end, there's no doubt you'll begin realize that not only thinking about its precise, insightful dialogue but also you've been genuinely entertained.
If You Should Leave Before Me had its world premiere at the Raindance Film Festival, an ideal locale for this uniquely spirited film with a terrific ensemble and much to say.
As a film journalist who has long emphasized the indie cinema world, it's always a little surprising when a film pushing two hours crosses my desk. For both budgetary reasons and narrative choice, it seems as if far too often indie filmmakers dare not cross the 90-minute mark. It's refreshing to have a film such as If You Should Leave Before Me being given room to breathe and allowing space for our own reflections and contemplations.
Allen is perhaps the most vibrant of our coupling, his lightness of being only thinly veiling his depth and Allen beautifully plays both his light humor and introspection. John Wilcox is the more serious ofthe two, an intriguing chap yet no less compelling. Together, they are simply sublime.
I won't say that If You Should Leave Before Me surprised me a whole lot, though films don't always need to be filled to the brim with surprise. Instead, even amidst its unique narrative thread this is a film to which we can relate, understand, and hold onto.
The film's ensemble is uniformly strong. I found myself completely enchanted by Susan Louise O'Connor's Lily and Brooke McCormick's Bonnie, though it must be stressed there's not a weak link here.
Lensing by Daniel Watt is truly impressive throughout, somehow beautifully immersing us in the film's varying tones and rhythms. Troy Higgins creates an original score for the film that is similarly impressive, honest and natural with hints of the film's absolute magic.
J. Markus Anderson and Boyd Anderson have crafted an impressive debut feature that begs to be seen. Continuing on its indie fest circuit, this is a film to watch for at a festival near you or hopefully once it finds an indie distributor capable of marketing this terrific indie gem.
Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic
