Masha (played by Dasha Plahti) therapizing (not a word, but you get it) Ian was the best scene. The cinematography and direction of those scenes, whew!! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

“Goodbye Golovin” was gorgeous. I didn’t really know what to think of it because the introduction reminded me of an extended Nike ad. Like, Ian Golovin (played by Oleksandr Rudynskyy) would infrequently break the fourth wall, so the tone felt a bit jumbled and chaotic. But, if I’m honest, I was upset when it ended because I really appreciated the film’s aesthetic as the runtime went on.

I could watch Ian’s character navigate life. This film could be episodic, like watching Ian explore his fuck- ups and realizing that past his narcissism, Masha’s point about maneuvering our personal existence was spot-on. That’s we’re all just alone playing a part. 

When the film concluded, I immediately wondered what an exploration of Ian’s grief would look like. How might his character work through the different stages: denial & isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance? Would the move away from his native environment positively or negatively affect his decision-making following his father’s passing? That’s why I appreciated Masha’s Hermes-like messaging. Her guidance could be useful. (Look at me storyboarding someone else’s narrative…lol.)

I would dig an extended version of this film.

Good content. Dope music. The director (Mathieu Grimard) and cinematographer (Ariel Méthot-Bellemare) were sharp, and I’d wanna see more of their work. Nice on the editing too.