TIFF’23: The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed is banal, but not boring

Modern dating is not easy. It’s a game of swiping on people on apps only represented by a few sentences and pictures, constant first drinks and explaining about your siblings and your jobs. It’s enough to make people give it all up and go back to someone they’ve been with before, all the while hoping they’ll find someone that can match them in every way. It’s boring and banal.

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The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed is a comedic film that does an excellent job of sardonically portraying this dating dismay. The film is a passion project, as leading actor Joanna Arnow (from i hate myself :)) is also the film’s writer, editor, and director. She plays an average woman in her mid-30s called Ann. She lives in New York City, works a corporate job, has issues with her family, and spends her free time getting involved in casual B.D.S.M. relationships, while hoping romance may spring from them.

Joanna Arnow and Scott Cohen in The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed, courtesy of TIFF.

Breaking up the film into chapters marked by who she enters a relationship with, the film is incredibly minimalistic and acerbic. It rests entirely on the performance of Arnow, who plays Ann like an average person with all the complexities that involves. There’s not much to her in the script, most of the power from her performance comes from small glances and interactions with co-stars. Watching a film like this is incredibly inspiring, because it’s not a complicated film to make. It’s a film that shows that anyone and everyone has the ability in them to tell a cinematic story.

Despite the film’s subject, it never demonizes nor sensationalizes the main character’s sexual proclivities. It’s a very matter-of-fact portrayal of modern B.D.S.M. relationships, which could be a surprise to many viewers who don’t know much about it. That’s part of the reason why this darkly humorous film is so impressive, because it’s showcasing a world that many don’t necessarily know about. Arnow excels at using minimalism to depict the character’s life and mental state, and it makes for a terrific viewing experience.

The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed is both a great comedy, and a film akin to what the Velvet Underground was to music. It might not be everyone’s favourite film, but everyone who sees it will be inspired to make their own film. This film gets a 4/5.