“We were together. I forget the rest.” A simple, yet beautiful quote from poet Walt Whitman is inscribed on a small plaque on a park bench where a man and woman share their lunch break. Co-workers and friends, the two exchange banter about movies, music, and life in general. But, something is up with these two. This is not just another lunch date between co-workers. This is quality time, a sacred space, an oasis where hope resides but doesn’t thrive.
Sparring Partner, J.J. Kandel’s directorial debut, is a short film starring Cecily Strong and KeiLyn Durrell Jones as nameless characters who quickly begin to feel familiar. This is due to the writing of Neil LaBute (The Shape of Things, Possession). LaBute is known for showcasing characters that are relatable through a somewhat cynical lens. This allows his characters to delicately explore and translate the selfish side of human nature. Though that may seem kind of dark, it works in a way that draws in the viewer by way of mutual understanding.
This is true for Strong and Jones’ characters, the woman and the man. As the short starts, the way these two interact with each other reminds you a bit of a rom-com. There are soft smiles, awkward chuckles, and quick glances to accompany playful conversations as they sit on their bench. They even enjoy music and a brief dance after the woman gives the man a card for his birthday. Then, the woman takes a leap in an attempt to see where things are going by bringing up a scenario involving a “friend”. This “friend” has a great friendship with a person she works with and cares for deeply. The caveat : the person is involved with someone else. Her big question is if it’s worth holding out hope that this other person will end their current relationship for the “friend”.
At first, the man responds in the way she wants, saying what she was hoping to hear, “It is possible.” However, her enthusiasm is short-lived as the dreaded “but” breaks the excitement of hope. He then goes on to explain that this person could be a coward, someone who doesn’t have the guts to leave his current relationship. He could just be living vicariously through this friend at work, never reaching his full potential for true happiness. This is where the woman wakes up to the possibility that she’s been holding out for something that will never come. In fact, by continuing in the hope that these lunches will lead to something more, she’s actually made it easier for the man to stay exactly where he is.
It’s in this conflict of hope that Sparring Partner shows us that neither of these characters is worth rooting for in this lose-lose situation. While initially, you may feel sadness for this woman, you come to realize that she’s been participating in these lunches for years hoping for the breakup of a marriage. Her desire is that this man will eventually leave his wife to be with her. And, although they’ve never crossed the line into inappropriate behavior, the emotional affair they are in has blinded her from seeing that he has no plans to change. He gets just enough from her in these moments to pacify his desire for something more without having to actually do anything about it.
As he repeatedly begs for five more minutes, it seems as though he doesn’t want their time together to end. And while this is true, it’s not just his feelings for her that keep him increasing the time of their stay, but also his feelings against his own life. His real hope is that nothing happens to alter this protected moment they’ve created so that he can continue to siphon every last drop of happiness in order to fuel the rest of his mediocre existence. While he’s talking, you feel a bit angry that a person would take advantage of someone’s feelings in this way. Then, you begin to feel sorry for this man — sorry that he does view himself as a coward, unable to pursue what brings him joy, and that his cowardice has him bound in a life that he doesn’t seem to want.
As the film ends, the man takes a phone call from his wife, Pam (the only person in this story with a name). You watch as the woman listens to him begin to converse with his wife in a frustrated tone explaining that he’s at lunch in the park…alone. Now certain of where she stands, the woman begins playing a song on her phone, the one they danced to, as she gathers her things and walks away leaving her phone and the birthday card on the bench. All the while, the man continues to bicker with his wife on the phone.
The disappointment in the last few moments of this short lingers after the film is over. You shake your head as you realize that the motivation for these characters to spend time together comes from a place of selfishness as well as happiness. The conflict of their individual hopes ultimately brought them to a place where they could see the bleak reality of their situation. Brilliantly written and beautifully acted, Sparring Partner is a masterpiece that no one should miss.
Sparring Partner is playing at the Tribeca Film Festival 2022.
Rating: 5 out of 5
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