This Case And My Life
Directed by Ana A P Braunstein | Reviewed by Samiksha Periwal ‘This Case and My Life’ is a simple yet appealing film which revolves around the protagonist’s life - Chris Roberts played by Mark Karten. Working in a successful law firm in New York city as a well established lawyer, it is Chris’ job to deal with complicated cases on a daily basis. However, he soon realizes that his life has become just like one of his cases as he is trapped between handling two of his very important relationships. His wife Mrs. Stacey Roberts played by Monica Phillips is skeptical about her husband’s intentions and is trying hard to find out the truth. In the meantime, Roberts’ long time executive assistant Kathy Welch played by the director herself is juggling her boss’ personal and professional life. She wishes to be relieved off this mental overload and even advices Chris to fix his personal life at the earliest. This is also because Kathy secretly plans to quit her job. Well, the protagonist faces not just one but multiple problematic situations adding on to the drama created by the first. He is in a fix because his long time law partner Mark Harrison played by Alexander Carney is shutting in on him for a past resolution the two of them had decided upon. On the other hand, Bridget Glenn who is Chris’ girlfriend played by Claire Waterhouse is totally and completely in love with her partner, unaware of his actual character. The protagonist is already having a terrible day at work when a detective enters the picture and the world becomes absolutely topsy turvy for him. However, the actual problem begins for Roberts when his beloved girlfriend Bridget calls him to give shocking news. With this the film goes on to reveal various aspects about the characters and the story unfolds gradually, keeping the essence of it alive and grasping the viewer’s attention till the very end. Situations and characters portrayed in the film come out in a very naturalistic manner which hits a chord with the audience because one can relate to it. Also, the fact that loyalty is a rare characteristic in today’s world makes you delve deep into your past and think about the relationships you have had, the times when you were cheated by someone and you went through a terrible heartbreak. Ana Braunstein has done a great job in putting together the entire film as one even though the characters don’t actually meet in real time. Her portrayal of each character in the film is so apt that one can clearly write down their qualities and differentiate among their personalities. The transition from one scene to the next is pretty smooth and connects all the pieces together really well. The cast has performed marvelously and has made us, the viewers, believe in the storyline. The director is originally from Brazil, but has lived in New York for quite a few years now. She believes that her love for writing and acting developed early in her childhood days. This love grew into passion very soon and she believed that pursuing her passion would get the best out of her. The pandemic gave the required push to her dream and made her realize that she should start writing again. The quarantine gave her all the time she needed and here she is with her absolutely wonderful film ready to impress us all with her exceptional skills both in direction as well as acting. The title- ‘The Case in My Life’ perfectly describes the film and is probably the most apt title one can think of naming it. This is a congenial and simple film which surely leaves us in a retrospective mood and touches upon issues concerning our day-to-day lives. This should definitely be an add on to your current watchlist.
Samiksha Periwal is an 18 year old student from Kolkata, West Bengal. She is an enthusiast, eager to learn and explore. She has done her schooling from Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, Kolkata and is currently a student of Christ University, Bangalore pursuing a triple major in BA Psychology, Sociology and English. She is a passionate writer and has won many laurels for her school through the years.
