Life is filled with an incalculable number of microinteractions. Fleeting moments with complete strangers that may not make the chapter, but they surely make the appendix of our lives. More often than not, people fail to connect in these moments. Suffering one of life’s favorite punishments: embarassment. Jess Zeidman, in her vignette style exploration of human interaction, ‘Human Theories,’ has managed to bottle this failure in a clever, ambitious, and creative look at the human condition. ‘Human Theories’ is a gorgeous exploration of humanity and the beauty that can be found within the day to day set upon the backdrop of the greatest city in the world.
Collected in 40 different vignettes, Zeidman takes a unique approach to film making. These are not so much interconnected as they are flashing glimpses at struggle to be a human in a very complex and difficult world. This film is pure joy. It offers audiences the opportunity to laugh not only at the people on the screen, but at themselves. Zeidman nails the beauty of the human condition. This is a must see as it comes out of it’s world premiere at the 25th Annual Tribeca Film Festival.
The Genius of Humanity
What Zeidman gets at remarkably well is the human condition. It’s clear that she understands people and how people interact with one another. ‘Human Theories,’ itself, brings together actors and nonactors alike, creating unique situations that leans into the awkwardness of each moment. The film is truly a masterpiece of clever filmmaking. It never feels disjointed or like it’s trying to hard, doing the right amount to draw audiences in.
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‘Human Theories’ relies so heavily on people that it’s a marvel that it all came together so fluidly. I genuinely cannot tell you who the actors and nonactors were. They meshed so well, diving into their moments with equal professionalism. Zeidman’s use of vignettes as opposed to traditional film styles creates a kaleidoscope of human nervousness in such a beautiful way that you forget your watching a movie and now out out for a walk.
That Awkward Moment
‘Human Theories’ at it’s very core is…well…human. Audience members may not be able to relate to each moment, but they will be able to relate to a lot of them and that’s what makes this film special. It imitates life in a way that feels real in the most minimalist way. Films that meet the lofty expectation of the art they seek to represent work best when they feel real and connect with audiences at a core emotional level. ‘Human Theories’ does that magnificently well.
Final Thoughts:
‘Human Theories’ is a beautiful exploration of the human condition. Getting right to the core of humanity, it explores in a uniquely gorgeous manner the ways in which people interact and, most importantly, the times they fail to do so. Much like that time in high school when you went to ask for a pencil and called it a “pancil,” ‘Human Theories’ is going to stick with audiences for a long time.
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