Room Taken (2023) Short Film Review
In regards to the subject of illegal immigration and all the factors that usually come along with it, as a society, we’ve failed to progress to a situation of tolerance, empathy, and understanding of others. But don’t get me wrong. Though it feels like we’ve still got a long way to go in terms of finding the “solution” for such an issue, reality speaks for itself. Unfortunately, what we usually see in the media is the dark side of it. From crime rates going to unforeseen levels to tolerance being a cover for more extremist organizations. And yes, with such a loud burst of bad news about immigrants, the good side of transculturization has gone unseen.
Room Taken, a short film by TJ O’Grady-Peyton, takes this reality and goes past an initial drive to scrutinize why a man like Isaac is in the situation he is in. The film is not a place to judge, and the director is sure to make this clear from the beginning. He doesn’t make a film about asylum seekers and refugees who are forced to find a better place in another life. Instead, he makes a film about the inevitable lack of empathy and the loneliness that such a situation brings. Fortunately, he also makes a film about hope and how you can find it in the strangest of places.
In the film, Isaac is a young man who has gone to Ireland to find better opportunities. He has abandoned his home country and possibly his past life. His grasp at the culture he grew up in is fierce, as he often communicates in the dialect that emotionally connects him to his home. But sadly, Isaac is also part of the growing population of homeless people in the country. He doesn’t have a place to sleep, and every night he’s subjected to extreme cold and hopelessness.
One night, as he enters a restaurant in order to ask for a power outlet, he helps an elderly blind woman. She leaves a bag, and he goes running to give it back to her. When she asks him to drop it on the table, Isaac has an idea. He can actually stay inside the house and sleep there. After all, Victoria is blind and won’t notice, right?
Yes, the suspense works because the film doesn’t rely on the confrontational consequences that such a situation would have. Instead, Victoria declares her understanding of the situation, and Isaac is mature enough to stop using her condition as an advantage. He will probably never be as comfortable again as he was when he was hidden, but his growth feels like a fair conclusion.
It will be inevitable to accuse the film of being idealistic about a situation that’s not very ideal. In this universe of absolute fiction, good is possible, and Isaac and Victoria both witness an outcome that’s far from realistic, but it’s optimistic. All we can imagine after we see them talking is that they will do alright. Good short films are easy to identify if they make you hope for the best for their characters and their untold story. With Room Taken, it would be lovely to see what lies ahead in the future of two people who found each other when they least needed it.
