Yes, this is ‘How to be’ by Oliver Irving (2008). Chronically aware that this is the ‘Patterson film’ just before his role in Twilight (2008). Twilight, well the first film anyway, was for me more of a gateway to Stephenie Myer, I did enjoy it, with its dark brooding etcetera-etcetera. But it was always the books for me; I was always the one rooting for Jacob- Edward always came across as to me as ‘Elusive, brooding and Intense- an enigmatic poet, who I took to be deep and mysterious’ but, ‘just turned out to be sad and unhappy.’ (How to Be- 2008) Much like how Art’s (The Protagonist) girlfriend describes him as she breaks up with him.
How to be is one of those films which boldly gives you both the problem and the solution almost from the word go. Perhaps this reflects our own ability to self-diagnose and heal, that on some level we all know what’s wrong with us; life sometimes is a journey we must take in order to realize what we already know.
The film centers on the character ‘Art’, perhaps the screen writer’s (Oliver Irving) dig at post-modernism, a sort of primordial ‘Edward’ so to speak. And chronicles his struggle to reconcile his growing sense of disparity between the person he is and the person he wants to be. As with so many of us at one stage or another, we have blamed our short comings on those around us rather than face the reality of who we are. Art is very much an example of How ‘not’ To Be, morose, self-involved, directionless, never taking responsibility for his own failings (Somewhat reminds me of my early twenties).
Art decides to spend his saving on a life coach who wrote a book Art came across called ‘It’s not your fault…’- with obvious social awkward moments and so on and so forth. What the film lacks in subtly, is makes up for in honesty, much like Art himself, the characters all have their own personal daemons, be it upbringing or lack of character (including Art’s parents).
How to be is Oliver Irving’s film essay on the importance of making the best of who you are; in a parting remark, Dr. Levi Ellington writer of ‘it’s not your fault’, tells Art- “…all we are eventually, alone, we can learn to accept that you might be able to go through life without being so disappointed in everyone…” Art’s volunteer care work supervisor (played by Jeremy Hardy) asks him, “… what do you want to be?”
In a ‘lose yourself-eventually find yourself’ journey, Art comes full circle, “I was lost-lost, found-found and lost again…” buying his guitar back and embracing his true love of music.
For those going through some form of identity crisis, ‘How to be’ may give some glimmer of light at the end of a confusing, sometimes difficult journey.
