I know that I am part of the problem. There are many of us who will already know this. Convenience and low cost has taken precedence over everything, locking us in to a spiral of consumerism as the algorithm continues to monitor what we might like, or need, at any given moment. Meanwhile, the workers who have to work harder, for low wage, to meet our needs continue to be locked in their own situation, one of exhaustion, isolation, and disappointingly low wages. I could be talking about a big company like Amazon, but let's assume that I am on about any company that keeps huge amounts of stock in vast warehouses where staff are constantly timed as they aim to fulfil orders.
On Falling stars Joana Santos as Aurora, a young woman working for a big company that keeps huge amounts of stock in vast warehouses. She spends her time picking orders and then simply existing in a home that she shares with others in a similar situation. There are moments of happiness, but they're snatched in between the many hours of exhaustion, isolation, and relative poverty.
The first feature from writer-director Laura Carreira, who has already given us a few shorts looking at the struggles of individuals trying to maintain a work-life balance while also ensuring they have enough money to live, this is a timely reminder of the real price of the convenience, choice, and budget options offered by online shopping. It may seem as if nothing much happens, but the main character has a lot going on beneath the surface as she continues to spend her time tied to a job she would obviously rather not be doing. Which is the way of things for so many of us.
Santos is fantastic as Aurora, emanating a sadness and loneliness even during the moments that have her smiling or interacting with others. She's going through the motions during many scenes, and her performance is so good that you can almost see every thought running through her mind as she wanders around on auto-pilot while at work. While nobody else stands out, that's more to do with Santos being so riveting in her role. There are others onscreen, with both Inês Vaz and Piotr Sikora doing very good work, but every scene revolves around Santos, who works through a full range of emotions with great skill and grace, allowing Carreira to easily show the correlation between Aurora's environment and her headspace.
There are obvious similar films I could point to here (particularly a couple of well-known Ken Loach features), but it feels like a disservice to make too many comparisons. Ths is a look at a modern life that sketches out a painful kind of limbo in something akin to pointillism. Every small detail is another reminder of the dire situation, every little distraction undermined by the encroaching dark clouds. It's the kind of life in which a very busy and demanding day at work doesn't lead to any pay increase or substantial bonus . . . it's a choice from some chocolate bars laid out in the office. And yet, thankfully, Carreira makes all of this clear without making the whole thing unrelentingly grim and unwatchable for viewers.
8/10
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