Short Film Review: "Where It's Beautiful When It Rains" Is A Profound Delight
An eight year old boy (Benjamin Pajak) is looking for a job.
In Harley Chamandy’s latest short, the gracefully profound and beautifully articulated Where It’s Beautiful When It Rains, a young boy emerges from a New York City subway station, almost as if he were being birthed right out of childhood and straight into the workforce. The boy’s name is Christopher, and he’s in the Big Apple on a mission. He’s on the prowl for a job, and dressed in a sweater vest and holding a briefcase, he’s all business. We observe him, mostly from afar, as he scours the city asking — and often pleading — for employment.
But like many of the people who Christopher encounter point out: Why is he looking for a job? Shouldn’t he be off on a playground somewhere being a kid? Probably, he should be, and that seems to be a part of the point Chamandy is making here, that the youth seem to be growing up too fast, and he explores this sentiment whilst also subtly critiquing the capitalist grind that mashes so many Americans up in its indifferent gears. But Where It’s Beautiful When It Rains isn’t concerned with doom and gloom or even laments. Although its title implies cloudy forecasts and unfavorable weather, it’s keenly focused on the beauty that lies within unfortunate circumstances, and it shines like a vibrant ray of sunshine that pierces through the clouds.
A major part of the film’s charm is due to the astounding performance at its center. At only ten years old, the effortlessly affable Benjamin Pajak absolutely electrifies as Christopher. The young performer is such an immense talent that Chamandy wrote this short on the fly specifically for him, and it was swiftly put into action so it could be filmed before Pajak began an eight-month stint on Broadway alongside Hugh Jackman in The Music Man. The film showcases Pajak’s range as a performer and all of his theatrical talents as well; he sings, he dances, and he absolutely captures your heart while he steals the show.
Another testament to Pajak’s tremendous talent is how he naturally blends in amongst the myriad non-actors that Chamandy assembled as the supporting cast, all of whom give solid performances in their own right. The non-actors and the decision to shoot on active streets and locations all help to give the film a certain level of authenticity that’s vividly captured by Chamandy’s loose, unobtrusive direction. He always lets the talent and the story shine at the forefront, but he makes some smart stylistic decisions along the way and gives the film’s finale a fine bit of memorable flair. Furthering the naturalistic splendor and charm is Kenny Suleimanagich’s lovely 16mm cinematography, which capitalizes on natural light and captures some truly magical moments in the process.
When it’s all said and done, Where It’s Beautiful When It Rains is a profound delight that quietly examines adult concepts and themes with a heavy dose of childlike wonder. The film truly is a marvelous piece of short cinema that fell into place through serendipity and a bit of kismet, and thankfully, Chamandy and his skeleton crew were there to capture the magic dust while it still swirled in the air and imbue it with a beautiful message to boot. The world may force us all to grow up fast, but that doesn’t mean the inner child has to be put to bed or that we can’t find a place inside ourselves where it’s warm and beautiful when it rains.
Recommendation: Definitely give this short a watch; it is 13-minutes well spent! You can peep it right now on YouTube or Vimeo!
Looking for more?! Check out the links below:
Harley Chamandy on Where It’s Beautiful When It Rains
Harley Chamandy on The Maids Will Come On Monday
The Maids Will Come On Monday review
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