BitterSweet is a hard film to pin down. Writer-director Steven Martini not only gets comfortable behind the camera but dominates his own movie with a complicated character study. Sam is not a man audiences will find endearing or even easy to like. He has all the unpleasant mannerisms of Pauly Shore and Rob Schneider but with softer edges, making him hapless rather than helpless. In a performance that gets under your skin, Martini leans into the self-destructive elements of Sam early on as his haphazard behaviour shapes this story. Interventions and separations soon follow as his girlfriend Gigi loses faith, laying the groundwork for an uneven but endearing dramedy.
The dynamic between Gabriela Kulaif and writer-director Steven Martini is everything and holds BitterSweet together. Faced with the farcical elements of this film that threaten to unbalance any emotional drama early on, some audiences may walk away from BitterSweet. It is true that Martini chews his way through a lot of scenery playing Sam, veering between hyperactive and introspective without warning, but in retrospect those choices make sense. For that reason, audiences expecting a straightforward portrayal of autism in contemporary society should be prepared for a few left turns when BitterSweet comes at the topic from a different direction.
Image Courtesy of SMARTini Media
This film rarely talks down to audiences on the subject and walks a fine line in depicting Sam’s condition. However, some may feel let down by the lack of bravery in those choices and a reliance on two-dimensional authority figures. Despite a disclaimer at the beginning which makes it clear what Steven Martini intends to address, how he chooses to explore autism on screen somehow lacks teeth. Irrespective of the serious intentions, BitterSweet feels uncertain of how to move forward at times, leading to tonal inconsistencies. Beyond the central character of Sam who feels fully fleshed out, other people lack substance by comparison. Gabriela Kulaif may do her best to compete for attention embracing Gigi’s inner turmoil and drawing drama from thin air, but Sam remains a compelling distraction despite her best efforts.
From Backdraft to Dirty Sexy Money and MacGyver, William Baldwin has never stopped working. BitterSweet might seem like an extended cameo in the role of Zimmerman, but Baldwin brings a wealth of experience to his limited screentime. Raising the bar among this close-knit ensemble and giving Steven Martini’s film unexpected layers. With shades of P T Anderson’s Magnolia seeping between the cracks, Zimmerman is introduced lecturing a room full of men. Less a self-help guru and more an aspirational second-hand car salesman, how he goes from lecturing to Sam’s legal counsel feels disjointed. However, in the brief screen time Martini affords him, William Baldwin brings some kudos to his creation and makes sure to do more than phone in his performance.
However, beyond the contributions of Baldwin and company, BitterSweet leaves an endearing after taste. It may not possess all the production polish audiences have come to expect, but Steven Martini provides his film with real heart. Occasionally, a movie will come along that is elevated not by technical prowess or even consistent performances, but something intangible and BitterSweet.
BitterSweet is in select theaters now, and available worldwide on VOD across all major platforms from July 11th.