Written and directed by Pat Mitchell, a timid young man chronically suffers from social anxiety. At a party, an unlikely encounter inspires a night of drinking, joy and romance. Starring: Calvin Waldau, Skye Marie Sena, Juan Rodriguez Leon, Valeria Di Babbo, Matthew Campbell and Jim Barbour.
One of the things that filmmakers often struggle with, from students to big studios, is creating authentic romance, a simple blossoming connection but that’s where Pat Mitchell succeeds most strongly with Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes. When the story takes overtly dramatic or artistic turns things begin to weaken. There are a few of choices in its final scenes which sadly feel as though they’re falling into classic stereotypes of teen romance and gender roles. Although otherwise the atmosphere holds a nice sincerity.
Outside of those few moments, following the charming, bumbling and nicely awkward flirtation between Henry (Calvin Waldau) and Natalie (Skye Marie Sena) is genuinely sweet. Pretty much everyone can relate to the anxiety and nervousness that comes with talking to your crush, especially when it’s one which has stuck with you from such a young age. One of the aspects of Mitchell’s writing which makes it work is that it’s not too easy, there’s no immediate fairytale romance. They have a good back and forth of stumbling blocks before they click.
Another point in its favour is the way that the atmosphere evolves throughout. Interestingly it opens on that note of peer pressure, Henry’s anxiety pushing him into binge-drinking when his subconscious is telling him maybe it’s time to call it a night. That anxiety then slowly transforms into the film’s main romantic vein. The style of direction works, it plays to the film’s strengths of that simpler authenticity, although the colouring can feel off. There’s a slightly distracting contrast to the aesthetic, it can feel like the cinematography is off-balance and needed to settle or add some additional lighting to get things on the right level.
Calvin Waldau leads the way well, he has a good presence that captures the youth, naivety and tension to Henry. He’s relatable and has an endearing personality so then when Skye Marie Sena’s Natalie turns up with a humble confidence and kind nature, the two make for a good pair. They manage to walk that line of sweetness well, it never becomes too sickly. Together they’re easy to watch and it’s easy to be drawn in by their burgeoning romance. It’s also boosted by the underdog feel that Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limesgives to Henry.
The strength of Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes lies in its simplicity. Pat Mitchell does an impressive job of creating an authentic connection which is brought to life well by Calvin Waldau and Skye Marie Sena. When it veers away from that simple, youthful romance, it treads into overly familiar ground and unfortunately that takes away from its genuine feel. As a whole it’s a solid debut feature from Mitchell, there’s plenty of potential that can be expanded upon in whatever comes next.
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