Stories about misfits of any kind that come together to form the families they always missed has always been one of cinema's favorite concepts. Isaac Hirotsu Woofter, an award-winning script writer and actor comes with his own take of the concept, bringing together different types of misfits, from various aspects of the (US) society, and placing them in New York.
“Bound” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Bella is a young woman who cannot stand watching her mentally ill uncle/stepfather torturing her mother. When she realizes he has hidden her college acceptance letter, essentially preventing her dreams of going to art school, she kicks him out of the house, supposedly for the last time. However, when her mother, Yeva, takes him back once more, Bella decides to take her pocket squirrel and head to NYC with no money, no friends, no roof, and too much pride to turn back. While there, she briefly falls in with a group of goths and punks, but soon finds herself running. Thankfully, she ends up working in the cafe of Owais, a Muslim American war hero who lost everything after returning from the war. Gradually, Bella finds herself, and even more so, when she meets and befriends Standrick, a gay black clothing designer, and Marta, an immigrant who runs a bar. She even starts working on her art again; Gordy, however, is not eager to let her go away.
Apart from the fact that the script goes somewhat too far in the way particularly one coincidence takes place, the story and characterization here are among the best aspects of the film. Especially the way Woofter implements his characters in order to present different types of people who are deemed “problematic” by the “normal” ones, but still retains their individuality, is quite impressive. In that fashion, Owais shows the problems the war veterans face, Standrick the gay and the blacks (as per his words), Marta the immigrants, Bella the youths from broken homes, even Gordy the ones of people with mental issues, although in the end, he does emerge as the villain here.
The way all of them clash as each feels wronged by society in some way, but also how their interactions force them to take a look at themselves and try to fight it out instead of assuming the ‘victim” persona is another excellent aspect of the narrative. Even more so, since it allows Woofter to analyze his characters quite thoroughly, and thus, create empathy towards them, something that intensifies the drama that permeates the narrative, making it more impactful.
Considering this is a character-driven story, the acting is a crucial element and it is easy to say that the actors play their roles in the most fitting fashion. For starters, the way Alexandra Faye Sadeghian highlights how lost Bella is and her eventual transformation through the interactions with her newfound friends is quite convincing. Furthermore, Jaye Alexander as Standrick highlights his kindness nicely, with the same applying to Jessica Pimentel as Marta the mentor who has her own issues, and Ramin Karimloo the introvert who desperately tries to move beyond his bitterness and trauma. Lastly, Bryant Carroll as Gordy steals the show as the villain of the story.
Also of note here is the music with the post punk/gothic sounds fitting the story and Bella's art to perfection. DPs Max Lewin and Jake Simpson present the bleakness and the darkness that dominates the story with artistry, while having most of the “good” moments in more lighted frames. Kristian Otero's editing results in a relatively fast pace that suits the somewhat episodic nature of the film.
Despite some issues with the writing, particularly regarding the co-existence in the same story of many characters with many issues, “Bound” emerges as a realistic portrait of the lives of the people who live in the borders of society, and one that is also quite entertaining to watch.
