Endless Sea (2023) Short Film Review
In Sam Shainberg’s live action short film Endless Sea, we can affirm with absolute certainty that things will not end well in this horrendous version of a modern Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t have to do anything with love, dinners, dates or presents. It’s the definite opposite. Loneliness is just one way to put it. In this 20 minutes of harsh reality we have failed as a civilized society and forgotten about those who need us the most.
Endless Sea is the (too short) story of Carol, a 70-year old woman who is trying to survive the pace of a city like New York. She manages to do it. Every day seems like a different mission to overcome. She delivers flowers, and accepts 5 dollar tips from buyers in Manhattan. She recycles cans and desperately looks for other ways to make money in a sea that’s infested with younger people who can surely be better workers.
The problem is simple. Her heart medicine has doubled in price and the Medicare line is always busy. She attempts to find a solution with her doctor and goes nowhere. The Social Security Administration office is no help either. What will Carol do to take the pills she desperately needs to take at the end of the day?
The direction the film takes is divisive. It could be seen as a revolutionary resolution of a worldwide conflict, but nothing this desperate can be framed under the reflective aspect of a voluntary act. Carol acts like there’s no tomorrow because perhaps there isn’t one for her. It’s why using her figure as a subject becomes a risky move for Shainberg whose only intention is to give a voice to those who live through this every day. Yes, even those ones who haven’t been able to survive the system are terrifically represented in this beautiful short film about survival in a modern society.
Carol is played by Brenda Cullerton. The writer/comedian’s debut as an actor is fantastic. She’s yet another reason why Shaimberg’s feature works from an emotional level without even hinting at an unnecessary humor tone. The most powerful scene in the film is when Carol decides to do something she wouldn’t have done if she weren’t desperate. I’m not talking about the pivotal last scene. I mean Carol’s admirable reach towards her daughter.
We don’t know about Carol’s past. But her face, and her family’s rejection speak of something shameful that has caused the family to break without the possibility of remediation. Love isn’t enough to cure the wound as Carol’s daughter decides not to speak and instead sends her partner to let Carol know there’s no intention to help. Yes, they understand she’s asking for money and that’s all they see. The pleading of a junkie.
However, when checking out Carol’s story, make no mistake. She isn’t addicted because the story objectively drifts away from this. She’s desperate for a substance that will save her life. But only today. What will happen tomorrow when she’s forced to become a monster in today’s society that doesn’t care for the elderly enough to save them from oblivion?
