What is one to do when a left breast is lost to cancer? Throw a funeral party for it, of course.
Written by Traven Rice and Brady Walker, and directed by the former, Lay Lefty Down carefully walks the line between cringe and effectively emotional, the line that works great for darker subjects while keeping the film a bit lighter. Here the writing balances humor, uncomfortable moments, and emotions just right in its 15 minutes run time. The work here is clearly done from the heart first and then the humor kicks in. The film makes the most of the emotions while not falling too deeply into them, thus keeping the discomfort at an effective minimum. The characters here do not get a ton of time to establish themselves and their connections, so the film presents them in an effective manner and allows some of them, such as the owner of Lefty, to have more time and more depth. This whole short film is a careful balance between tones, between emotions, between telling and showing, and between what needs to be in the story on screen and what can be skipped for the sake of brevity.
The cast here works well for the film’s content and emotions with Alexandra Seal shining as Abby. She’s the center here but not a sparkly, shining star, giving the film the performance it needs at the center of everything. Her work is understandably emotional, but she doesn’t go overboard, giving the film a solid, centered character that thinks and doesn’t explode more than she needs to. The work she puts in here carries the film and makes it an excellent one. Joining her and giving a slightly more emotional and “showy” performance is Tovah Feldshuh as Aunt Eudora, a woman who may have more invested in the funeral party than expected. She is a bit much at first, but it’s part of what makes the character what she is and gives her a more satisfying emotional moment later on. The cast in general is really good here with a few moments that do feel off here and there, but not enough to be any sort of issue.
The cinematography by Eduardo Fierro works well here, giving the characters the time in the spotlight, making the most of the location, and making the film feel like the viewer is just a part of the event. There’s no particular styling here, no special lighting or fancy camera movements, but the work works for the situation. It shows that not every story needs fancy work and that sometimes simpler is better.
Overall, Lay Lefty Down is a funny take on a sad situation that imbues the story with the right balance of emotions, humor, and human nature. The film is well-written and well-directed with a strong central performance. It’s not going to be for everyone but for those who think they might be into its dark humor, this should entertain and bring a bit of levity in a heavy situation.