VIFF 2024 Review: Matt and Mara
Matt and Mara (2024)
Directed by Kazik Radwanski
Starring Matt Johnson, Deragh Campbell, and Simon Reynolds
As seen at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival.
Before watching the well-crafted, recent-history period piece BlackBerry (2023), I had no idea who or what Matt Johnson was. He directed and starred in one of my favorite films of that year, seemingly coming out of nowhere. With the constant barrage of new films and TV series hitting my radar, I didn’t get around to exploring his earlier work. Lucky for me, his latest starring role brought him back into my sights at VIFF, and once again, after this performance, I’m compelled to check out his past projects.
Matt and Mara can best be described as Past Lives (2023) in Canada—less heart, more head; fewer tears, more laughs. While Celine Song, in her feature directorial debut, deconstructs the love triangle with a thoughtful, artistic approach (read my review of Past Lives here), Matt and Mara plays it for laughs, like a modern-day When Harry Met Sally… (1989). But where Meg Ryan’s Sally Albright is self-assured and charming, Deragh Campbell’s Mara is practically the opposite—a blank stare and a disheveled look that screams, “Stay away,” and for the most part, everyone does—everyone except Matt, who re-enters her life.
I laughed out loud at the chemistry between the titular characters, especially as Matt pushes conversational boundaries while somehow maintaining his innate charm. But my favorite scene is the dinner table moment with Mara, her musician husband, and other musicians. Campbell’s portrayal of Mara as an alien trying to laugh off her own alienation—yet still hurt by the lack of connection—is worth the price of admission alone.
Speaking of tickets, be sure to snag yours for Matt and Mara, screening Sunday, September 29, at 3:30 p.m. at International Village 10. Afterward, you can do what I’m doing: dive into Matt Johnson’s past performances. I think I’ll start with Anne at 13,000 ft. (2019), which just so happens to co-star Deragh Campbell and is directed by Kazik Radwanski.