We all have heard of the incredible Issa Rae who is famous for her many web series such as The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl. Well she recently shared on her youtube channel a mini film called, Stages.
The film is without words and shares the events of one man after a breakup who essentially is going through “stages”. The lead actor did an impeccable job at portraying the different emotions.
Because there is no dialogue during the short film it leaves room to pay attention to detail, ask questions and draw some of your own conclusions.
It starts with clips of a typewriter, a stuffed animal, a shirt and sandals on the floor along photos of them both on the wall. Is he a writer? Those must be her items. Untouched.
We see that he’s obviously heart broken as he sits in the shower and is then unable to find the perfect shirt to wear. Then he reaches out and sends a “miss u” text to Nina. Obviously his ex. Then he proceeds to “distract” himself by cleaning up his small apartment all while leaving her items untouched including the Trader Joes Shampoo I spotted in the shower. Or maybe he has OCD which is a questioned raised at the end which I’ll get to in a moment.
Furthering into distractions, he reaches out to “Skye” who is obviously a booty call. As she shows up he seems unbothered and pauses as if he almost doesn’t want to go through with it. But as soon as she enters they go at it and their chemistry says they’ve been there before. Did he cheat? Is that why him and Nina broke up?
Skye knows his mind is somewhere else and shortly after they’re done doing what they do best she leaves without a goodbye.
Then it hits him. He breaks down crying on the bathroom floor. I guess the reality of the breakup sat in and skye couldn’t fix the pain he was feeling inside.
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The next morning he sits and thinks on the toilet and turns the faucet on and off. Again, maybe he has OCD?
He then listens to a sermon which discusses relationships and that they end when something more powerful than love intervenes.
He finds “knowledge” and then snaps out of it. He picks up and gets rid of the untouched belongings (sandals, shirts and photos) and puts on a shirt and tie signifying his “moving on”.
One day huh? The sad moments in a daze, then distractions by another girl, the breakdown and then wake up and move on. Are these the stages of a break up? I wish it was that easy for us girls!
Although I know the film was to depict the coping strategies of a one man but do most guys go through these phases after a breakup? Check out the film here and let me know your thoughts.
