MY TYPE is playing at SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival), and I had the opportunity to see an early look – here’s my spoiler-free take:
I’m a (sugar-free) sucker for romantic films. As a reminder, my favorite movie of all time is SAY ANYTHING. That’s why it warms my heart to see director Daniela Ruah’s short film, MY TYPE, soar thanks to two charismatic lead performers, beautifully filmed Santa Barbara locations (yes, I’m biased since I live here), and an important message about Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). It both informs and inspires by highlighting the daily obstacles faced by those with T1D, as well as the emotional resilience and support needed to manage it.
In my review of FIL-AM, I mentioned that short films face an uphill battle, as they must capture the audience’s attention and evoke empathy within a limited time. Yet, despite a super cheesy script with several romantic tropes, MY TYPE is able to do just that with the support of the two extremely likable leads, Oliver (Jacob Ward), and Amy (Avery Norris). Their real-life story was featured in PEOPLE Magazine last year, and it’s fun to see how the two of them met and continue to overcome the odds of a long-distance relationship and of living with T1D.
My only nit with the film is that I would’ve loved for it to go deeper into the BEFORE SUNRISE observational realm. While Oliver and Amy are on their first date, we see them looking at various married couples and making surface comments about them. Still, it never goes deep enough to offer real insight, like in Richard Linklater’s classic films. It’s a missed opportunity, but one that doesn’t fully hurt the film’s overall appeal.
Final Thought: MY TYPE is… my type of film. It was “worth it.”
MY TYPE premieres at SBIFF on Sat 2/7 – 8:40 PM
