Directed by Maya Ahmed, “Good Luck To Me” is an indie short that explores divorce. It’s told in an intimate way, and its stars (and writers) Timothy J. Cox and Heather Bayles set the stage in an unusual way. Their performances are highlighted by a somberness that something is seething under the surface without coming straight out and telling us. In this way, the film—at ten minutes—shares notes in common with Noah Baumbach’s excellent “Marriage Story.” This is not a cynical divorce film highlighting acrimony, but one that underscores the real feeling of numbness and pain. It also cares about its characters, which makes it resonate more.
The setting for the film is a posh restaurant in the middle of the day as our couple (billed ‘her’ and ‘him,’ played by Bayles and Cox respectively), have a cup of coffee. Its acting and cinematography set the stage well. We see other patrons in the restaurant—such as single woman and another couple, laughing—that contrast with her and him, who are having a cordial-yet-tense conversation. “What are you going to do?” asks her. “Right now, I’m going to enjoy this cup of coffee,” him replies.
Tension but Authenticity
With tonal clues from both actors, “Good Luck to Me” lets us feel the couple’s tension, rather than telling us, which works to involve us along with them. The dialogue itself is cordial, not bitter. But the way that two people—who we learn have been married for 20 years—are so tentative with each other makes it feel like they are strangers. Their conversation revolves around forced small talk. For a good chunk of the movie—while we feel something has gone awry with their relationship—specific clues that it’s over don’t present themselves until later. That was my guess, at least. And the ending isn’t a surprise; but the slow way Director Ahmed takes it there feels authentic. We often think of divorce as a bitter, harsh thing. But presenting a couple who doesn’t hate each other but have reached a place where they have to admit it didn’t work out makes the concept hurt that much more.
With only ten minutes to work with, the film does feel somewhat terse, which is its only detriment. I’d like to have seen five or so more minutes to flesh out some of the characterization. During the film—as the couple moves from coffee to dinner and wine—we start to see some of the peccadillos of ‘him’ that might have added to the marriage’s dissolution. He drinks too much wine. He tells ‘her’ the food at this restaurant is the best and can’t understand why she doesn’t finish it. She seems to take it all in stride. ‘Her’ is not as developed; Bayles plays her well, but we don’t get as much sense of what she may have contributed to the marriage’s downfall. Maybe we’re not supposed to.
A Divorce Film with Notes of Empathy and Hope
Yet the strengths of “Good Luck to Me” are its cinematography, its camaraderie amidst a difficult situation, and its takeaways. I liked that despite what we glean might be the pair’s last dinner/drink as a couple (we’ve witnessed by this point they’ve signed a marriage dissolution agreement), they are still able to enjoy it—and each other—while they can. And while the film is too short to really show what exactly brought them to this point (fights or last-minute digs at each other are not present here), perhaps the point of the film is that sometimes things just don’t work out, and it’s not anyone’s fault. By portraying the two in a positive light, we feel for them. We care that for them this moment is somber and wish that things could be different. Both admit the feeling hasn’t really hit them yet. The events of “Good Luck to Me,” while sad, are possibly their way of processing that.
“Good Luck to Me”—named after the self-encouraging talk they each offer themselves at the film’s end—is a sad movie but worth watching. It’s short but effective. It makes us feel both the pain of divorce and the sting of what might have been. It’s a film about two people who care about each other but can’t live together. In cinema usually full of fights, resentment, and infidelity, its dose of realism and empathy makes the material easier to handle. While somber, you don’t feel worse after watching it, and it layers slivers of positivity through a tough situation. Bayles and Cox are enjoyable, and the film is comforting in a way not often seen in a cynical world.
“Good Luck to Me” is currently starting its festival run. Follow us for release information as it becomes available. You can watch the film’s trailer in the window below.
