Céline Roustan
Inspired by J.D. Salinger’s beloved story Franny and Zooey, Ben Lewis’ Apart From Everything is a worthy homage that leverages its terrific cast and turns them loose in riveting scenes of interpersonal drama. The story of Fran (played by Emmy Award Winner Tatiana Maslany), the film is one of apology, regret, and perhaps redemption, as Fran returns to her hometown to reconcile with her concerned brother and ex-fiancée Lana after leaving them both without a word years prior.
It is Maslany who originally gave Lewis a copy of Salinger’s book, providing the impetus for the film. Franny’s experience in the book, struggling with the feeling of obligation to be someone else for the people around you in order to appear more “normal”, sparked Lewis’ inspiration. The root of Apart From Everything is Fran dealing with the aftermath of bulldozing her brother’s and ex-fiancée’s lives. She is back to make amends, but it might be too late though. What happens when you’ve hurt someone you love? Will they forgive you, how can you move forward? It’s a universal feeling— maybe not to the extent of Fran’s experience—but it sure stirs something inside us. Comprising 3 dialogue-heavy scenes, the script is an actor’s showcase, but doesn’t play big. There is a well-formed nuance to the character of Fran that allows for a level of authenticity that Maslany brings to life. On a personal note we appreciated an LGBTQ story in which the character’s sexuality wasn’t the defining trait, but just an incidental aspect of richly drawn character. The reactions to Fran’s return from her Ex and brother, are likewise believable, and despite the tone, never fall on the overly dramatic side.
Lewis assembled quite a passionate crew with his producing partners Lauren Collins (Degrassi) and Mercedes Grundy, but again we return to the acting. In his words “really there is no film without Tatiana”. Maslany’s main scene partner, Tattiawna Jones is also no stranger to big productions. You might recognize her from her role as Ofglen2 in the recent Emmy-winner The Handmaid’s Tale, and also appears in Jason Reitman’s soon to be released Tully.
An actor himself, Lewis’ experience in front of the camera, made him well-suited to direct a film distinguished by powerful performances. Maslany tackled this meaty role flawlessly, portraying a complex character with a perfectly layered, fleshed out and subtle performance. This is no surprise, as she is a celebrated actor, but her ability to make conflicting character traits blend and ring true is still nonetheless admirable. The way she delivers line are not her only shining moments, she makes silent ones mean just as much. Her work as Fran got recognition in Canada with an ACTRA nomination (Canadian equivalent of SAG), as it should. She brought both strength and vulnerability to a deeply flawed character, that has messed up big time in the past, yet we can’t help but root for her.
Apart From Everything premiered at the BFI Flare in 2017 and went on to travel on the festival circuit, with notable stops such as Palm Springs ShortFest. Ben Lewis already had a successful short which premiered at TIFF, 2014’s Zero Recognition. That film featured his producing partner Lauren Collins in the lead role, and the pair is currently developing the script of their first feature that he will also direct.