Love and romance come in very different degrees and sizes. It can be shallow at times and suddenly become overwhelming in another minute. It really depends on the person and where they are at their station in life. Some people, though, like “virtual insurance broker” Anabel (Anna Maguire, Violation, The Hummingbird Project) have no choice but to follow their own heart . . . even when living in a dystopian future where feelings do not matter anymore.
With Love And A Major Organ, directed by Kim Albright and written by Julia Lederer, independent filmmaking once again shines brightly with an endlessly creative and dark comedy which absolutely sheds light on what makes us all human.
Anabel lives in an alternate world from our own. It is a place where hearts no longer matter and emotion is very pragmatic. Quite literally, hearts have been replaced with everyday common objects. Her own heart is a lantern and her mother’s heart was a string, but in a world where feelings don’t matter anymore, what good is such a thing like love? Everything is cold and calculated here. It’s a future which should be absolutely terrifying, especially if you love absolutely.
Like I said, With Love And A Major Organ is a fantastical film. It pulls you in almost every direction while its characters traverse the emotionally dampened world they were born into. But after seeing someone toss his own heart away in the woods, Anabel is fascinated with the idea of not repressing her feelings. But it isn’t easy. And she gets burned badly when a man she falls for doesn’t reciprocate her feelings.
At odds with this overly pragmatic society, she rips her heart from her chest and gives it to a man she's fallen for, the strangely unfeeling George (Hamza Haq, NBC's Transplant). Unburdened by her unique yet cumbersome heart, Anabel finds life easier. George, on the other hand, begins to feel everything, to the shock of his overbearing mother, Mona. Anabel soon realizes she needs to get her heart back if she's going to survive, but is it too late? After all, George’s eyes are wide open!
Enchanting to the very end, the team involved here have created something which is truly impressive. With Love And A Major Organ doesn’t disappoint as it carries its theme about humanity through a dystopian romance which defies us to love and live a little more than we have been. It is a strong reminder of that which makes us all feel connected and - dare I suggest - loved.
With Love and a Major Organ opens in New York theaters on March 29 and Los Angeles theaters on April 5. It goes nationwide on April 12. It was an official selection at the 2023 SXSW Film Festival; the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival; and the 2023 Cucalorus Film Festival. Don’t miss your chance to see this creative look at a society which barely functions without the human heart.
MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 91 mins
Director: Kim Albright
Writer: Julia Lederer
Cast: Anna Maguire; Hamza Haq; Veena Sood
Genre: Drama
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Distributor: Circular Collective
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Release Date: April 12, 2024
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: In an alternate world where hearts are made of objects and suppressing emotions is self-care, a lonely woman rips out her own heart for the man she loves, only to discover that he has run away with it.
