Two former high school sweethearts reconnect after decades apart, embellishing their current lives to impress each other in James Dubbeldam’s “Never Too Late.”
James Dubbeldam has been a regular contributor to Screen Critix over the last year and is a skilled filmmaker who knows how to create thought-provoking films. Never Too Late is not quite up to his usual standards but still manages to remain an engaging story and one that explores the theme of rekindled love and the complexities of relationships. Telling the story of May and Don, who had a brief romance in high school and reconnect decades later under unexpected circumstances, Never Too Late does unfold at a slow pace, and within the opening salvo, we are already realising that this choice is not going to be for everyone. However, there is a method to Dubbeldam’s way of working and that is to give the audience some time to take in the story’s beats and get to know the people involved.
Dubbeldam’s diligence is evident throughout the sixteen-and-a-half minute short, as he crafts a film that invites viewers to consider deeper meanings beyond the actual plot. Both May and Don were a couple going steady forty years ago but now all May has left is an idea to create a false situation that will enable her to meet Don again and stay close to him without much time left to implement it. Both are now in their 60s and end up meeting each other on a local park bench. During this meet-cute plus forty, Dubbeldam uses animation and graphics to highlight the important plot points he thinks we should know, a title card here, a text message there, a giant lie box to tell us when someone has told a falsehood or a red arrow pointing to an important prop such as a ring or a jacket. Along with a forward wind button, these effects feel innovative in the moment, but they do become a little distracting and the critic in me wonders why he needs to signal to his props at all when a few quick extra shots would have done the job.
Zachary Colton’s cinematography is important to the feel of the short film as he uses soft and warm lighting, coupled with some sweeping camera shots of the local park. This along with Dubbeldam’s blocking, particularly of his leads on the bench, emphasizes the distance between them and evokes a sense of longing and yearning. Coltan’s visual style is particularly effective in capturing the beauty and regret of unfulfilled love.
The film’s central characters May and Don are brought to life with nuanced performances by Lynn Allinger and Jeffrey Hurst, who both manage to be heartfelt and believable, capturing the complexities of their emotions and the challenges they face as single people of a certain age bracket.
Despite some reservations, “Never Too Late” deserves praise for its exploration of love and hope in later life. While romantics of all ages will appreciate the film’s ability to spark thought-provoking questions.
