Italian executive Paul jumps into marriage with Alicia, the pretty new girl in his office, but looks can be deceiving and Alicia comes with some baggage in Daap P. Orr’s debut feature film Miss Or Misses.
Miss Or Misses is an interesting and gritty romantic drama by Daap P Orr, portraying the London life of Paul (Sergio Monda) and Alicia (played by stage actor Hazel Caulfield). Alicia is temping in the office that Paul works in and he is instantly smitten by her. Due to Alicia being at the office for just one week, Paul decides to jump in head first and ask her out. During their first date, Paul tells Alicia he wants to be her boyfriend and Alicia immediately accepts his offer despite neither of them knowing much about each other. What the audience finds out long before Paul does is that Alicia is an emotionally unstable woman who lives in a squalid home with a junkie for a mother, and a drug-dealing brother, and is so desperate to leave this life behind that she is willing to do anything she can to escape it. That includes finding an affluent and infatuated lover, and as the relationship progresses it becomes more and more obvious that this couple are completely the wrong fit.
One of the key cinematic techniques used in Miss Or Misses is the stark contrast between the ordinary world of Paul and the increasingly chaotic and dangerous world of Alicia. The film often juxtaposes these two worlds, highlighting the growing tension between them. Paul’s world is characterized by warm, natural light and a sense of stability; with his office and home depicted as a safe haven – a place of comfort and security. In contrast, Alicia’s world is shrouded in darkness and shadows, especially the home she shares with her mum and brother, which feels like a cold claustrophobic space. Then as her mental state becomes increasingly unstable, the use of low-key lighting and shadows creates a sense of foreboding and danger. Close-ups and medium shots are used well in Miss and Misses to convey the characters’ emotions and psychological feelings. The film’s focus on facial expressions and body language allows the audience to delve into the minds of the characters and anticipate their actions. Hazel Caulfield’s performance is particularly striking, with her intense close-ups conveying the full range of Alicia’s emotions, from seductive charm to terrifying rage.
The film has some comedic moments that mask the deeper narrative on love, resilience, and mental health with a scene in a cinema foyer when the couple are deciding which film to watch being particularly memorable, mainly because it contains an awful lot of truth. One issue with the film though is that neither of our main protagonists is particularly likable. In the beginning, Paul comes across as a bit of a misogynistic player, while Alicia is very mean-spirited, as the film continues we do begin to take Paul’s side that little bit more but this is only because Alicia begins to do more ridiculous things.
Overall Miss Or Misses is a decent debut that will resonate with audiences and spark important conversations about relationships, but even with some fine performances, it does just miss the mark.
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