Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Finding Ophelia’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Finding Ophelia’.
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One thing that everyone can agree upon right now, is that the past year was quite the terrifying experience. Because not only did Covid lock us into our homes and force us to live with a sense of fear over our health and our future, but the world also managed to exacerbate those concerns. For an unprepared economy began to buckle under the stresses of not saving for an emergency, resulting in layoffs and more uncertainty. And civil unrest for the right reasons under a wannabe dictator’s thumb, left us wondering what America might look when the dust settled from the frustrations that came about. But thankfully, those worries, and those fears are beginning to be assuaged and a great deal of us are going to emerge from this nightmare with some newfound perspective on life. 
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The kind that outright has us wondering if we are chasing the right paths and goals in life, and what it would take to change course if we’ve dug ourselves into a routine that we realize now… isn’t sustainable for us and well, those concerns, and those frustrations are almost downright impossible to express clearly right now. Because we have barely made sense of them ourselves and likely need more time to sort them out. But thankfully, we are not alone in such matters. For creative minds went through lockdown like the rest of us and saw the world fuss as we did and some took the time to create stories that reflect the zeitgeist of the time to help us and themselves process the bevy of emotions, we’ve all recently experienced and it just so happens, that a brand-new movie out there, captures all our emotions and hopes and desires from the past year to a tee in Finding Ophelia.

Now in this particular motion picture, we are introduced to a man named William Edgar who seemingly has it all. For he is a well-regarded advertising associate that lands big contracts on a regular basis and he has freedom and money and stability surrounding him. But something isn’t quite right with William. Because despite being in a place that so many desire, he is miserable and confused and constantly moving about the world in a dream-like state that feels akin to a never ending nightmare. For William is missing something internally, a meaning that he has been painfully searching for and has had little success in obtaining. But some odd dreams and some strange clues lead him to believe that a mysterious woman named Ophelia is who he needs to seek out to find happiness and fulfillment in life and now that he has an idea of what he needs, he will stop at nothing to finally obtain the contentment and joy that he is convinced Ophelia can offer him.

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Which is a fairly engrossing plot that quite frankly, might not seem to exist at first glance. Because you, dear reader, need to know up front that this story… is handled in a supremely artistic manner. Which means that writer/director Stephen Rutterford opted to film this as though you’re experiencing everything that William is experiencing both visually and emotionally and that leads to some jarring visuals. The kind that seems strange and outlandish and will undoubtedly be off-putting to some viewers for certain. Simply because avant-garde and abstractionist filmmaking has lain dormant since the days of David Lynch’s peak. But this reviewer implores you to look beyond style and surprise and really take a moment to focus on William’s frustrations… since that is where the movie excels at expressing our own vexation from the past year.
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Because William is in essence, all of us. For he thinks he is on the right path professionally and he thinks he’s figured out how to create order in the chaos of the world and enjoy all of the little moments that it has to offer. Until he doesn’t. Which is when his world transforms into the eye-opening nightmare, we all experienced. Where we realized that big business isn’t our friend, that so many of us were chasing after goals that weren’t fulfilling in the slightest and that makes Ophelia, the goal we all desire and William’s quest to obtain her, serves to remind us that we simply must do the same for our own Ophelia before it is too late and that makes this… a fascinating film for certain. One that genuinely takes you off guard in every way imaginable with its unconventional style of storytelling and stays with you long after it comes to an end, because of how much meaning and metaphor is present within every single frame.

In fact, this writer is fairly certain that we are merely chipping away at the tip of a massive iceberg of meaning, since the true definition of so many of the visuals could be interpreted quite differently than what’s been posed here. If anything, it is just best to declare this film as downright refreshing. Because it offers a strange catharsis, one that seemingly acknowledges that we’ve been through hell and back and that we’re not alone in our experience. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the movie is gorgeous as well, since Rutterford’s desire to take us on a wild visual ride pays off with some beautiful and engaging imagery and well, in the end, if you’re looking for some validation when it comes to your emotions from the past year or looking for something different to enjoy from a filmmaking standpoint, then check Finding Ophelia out. Because this one really is quite the original and unique and meaningful ride.

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