The pandemic put life on pause for awhile and for some, it has an interesting way of putting life into perspective and mull over what really matters.  Perhaps it is to cherish time with family and friends or to realize that the future is now.  It might have prompted regrets and an eagerness to fix the future in any way possible. 

College students Lydia and Amy are at a pivotal point in their lives.  Both are ambitious with big dreams, but approach their goals in different ways.  Amy decides to shake up her world while Lydia pursues her interests with her feet planted firmly on the ground.  Their peculiar and abrupt chance meeting and awkward dialogue takes a moment to latch onto as if these two distinct young women speak different languages.  Their observances and approaches to life are in such stark contrast, it is a wonder how they get along. 

METHOD, an indie dramedy directed and co-written by Darya Amirshahi with Matthew Choi, is available now on Amazon Prime Video and other streaming services. The film is just under 90 minutes.  Click here for more information.

First time director Darya Amirshahi captures the essence of the pandemic with this small cast spending much of their time in solitude and hints at the restlessness of this time.  This quiet life has Amy crawling out of her skin while Lydia dares not to dream.

The title suggests multiple meanings in this film, but what first comes to mind is Amy’s dream to become an actress, a career she pursues impulsively and with some reckless abandon.  Serious and steadfast, Jacqueline Yushkov as hardworking Lydia does not seem to indulge in anything other than sensibility and gawks at Lydia’s impulsiveness.  Gradually, Lydia tempers Amy’s lofty goals. 

Sharon Juhasz amiably depicts Amy’s worried mother and voices her concerns, but Amy is resolute.  Rebecca Lachmansingh as controlling and occasionally harsh Amy makes some questionable decisions in the film, but Lachmansingh also brings naïve and idealism that garners some sympathy for her character.

Two unlikely friends discover with a little faith, less reckless abandon, and a few hard lessons, there is hope.  The dialogue is farfetched at times and can benefit from having a bit more subtlety, but Yushkov and Lachmansingh work out its believability through their quirky chemistry and gradual understanding of each other.

METHOD, an indie dramedy directed and co-written by Darya Amirshahi with Matthew Choi, is available now on Amazon Prime Video and other streaming services.  Click here for more information