[MOVIE REVIEW] A Walk Through Memory Lane “This Time”

Sebastien Tobler’s romantic drama “This Time” recently just screened at the Aratani Theatre located inside the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACC). Starring Ken Kirby as Colin Lang and Leila Perry as Laela Sagan, this 90 minutes film takes viewers into the one day reunion between long lost high school sweethearts who had gotten separated during the 1998 riots in Jakarta.

Synopsis

“This Time” begins with a quick documentary of the 1998 riots in Jakarta through a series of what appear to be 20th century style news clips. It then almost immediately jumps to present day Los Angeles in the current standard wide screen format. For the audience, this distinction is a great visual contrast that is easy to understand and recognize in storytelling. The narrative begins and ends with Laela’s point of view, highlighting that this film is actually focused on the struggles of the female protagonist.

Memories

The majority of the movie is a walk down memory lane. Laela and Colin spend their time talking about their adventures, experiences, and dreams as teenagers in Jakarta. This is 23 years since the two had to cruelly separate due to their home country’s civil unrest. Each of our leading protagonists has, in a sense, “grown up” and “moved on” with their life. The different paths, environments, and choices that Laela and Colin had chosen up until present day have shaped the two to be very different individuals. Their differences in beliefs and goals are evident as they reminisce about the past and voice their current priorities.

While meeting a former lover is nostalgic, is the attraction that they feel really love or is it just the yearning for what once was? Through “This Time”, the audience is able to step into Laela’s shoes and obtain the closure that she was seeking for the past two decades.

If you missed this screening at LAAFF, they will be at the CAAM festival later this month:

The New Parkway Theater – May 21, 2023 at 6:30 pm

Buy Tickets here: bit.ly/43CVQTL

Written by Dee