From Tokyo to Stockholm to Seattle, Bishrel Mashbat's sophomore feature, “Beloved,” has quietly crawled across the local festival circuit. In each city, it seems the reception has been muted; from each festival, “Beloved” had not reaped any noticeable mentions. Now, “Beloved” has landed on our desks as a part of the AMP Submit Your Film Initiative. Overall, the film's ambitions are great, but only feels half-hearted in execution.
“Beloved” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
“Beloved” introduces us to the humble life of Anar (Iveel Mashbat), a Mongolian bartender who moved to the US for his white wife, Kassy (Jana Miley). The couple's career stagnation strains their relationship. Kassy, desperate to have a shot at acting stardom, sleeps with a casting director. Anar, bored with his bartending job, chases after – and impregnates – an old-time friend. Within the walls of Anar and Kassy's home, however, the two say little. They simply go through the everyday motions of a sexless marriage — until one day, Anar announces that he must move back to Mongolia to take care of his ailing grandmother. Kassy resists. The film then spirals until an all-too-familiar domestic dilemma of a dead bedroom. Should they revive their romantic flame? Or should they be content with the ashes? As Anar and Kassy feel out their next steps, they come across heartbreak and healing along the way.
The premise immediately brings other titles to mind, such as Noam Baumbach's “Marriage Story” (2019), Richard Linklater's “Before Midnight” (2013), or even Wong Kar-wai's “In the Mood for Love” (2000). In each of these dramas, the camera closely follows a couple haunted by a complex history of longing and loss. In this way, the camera maintains a minimal presence; similarly, cinematographer Mike Malinawag follows suit. He positions each take carefully, designing each frame with symmetry and attention to neutral colors. The camera remains still for the majority of the movie, honing in on the performance at hand.
It is unfortunate, then, that the said performance is lackluster at best. Unlike the frayed marriages of the previously-mentioned titles, “Beloved,” misses any hint of desire. The anxieties of interracial dating possess the script; the dialogue obsesses over the self instead. As a result, slow-burning resentment settles upon the actors, hollowing out their performances. We witness mere mannequins repeating empty lines with deadened eyes. Any chemistry between Anar and Kassy feels nonexistent, let alone believable. The bittersweet nature of a broken marriage is lost in Mashbat and Miley's acting, as the two treat each other only with contempt. The depth of a lifelong commitment feels recklessly thrown away in the face of two awkward protagonists.
In other words, “Beloved” looks polished, but has little substance to follow through. The script lacks heart; the acting follows suit. Mashbat's would-be melodrama mellows out into mere eyewash, delivering far less than initially promised.
