'Inamorata' Brilliantly Defines "The Other Woman"

Inamorata film poster.

           in·am·o·ra·ta

/iˌnaməˈrädə/

          noun

        a person's female lover

Inamorata made an impressive Philadelphia premiere at Blackstar Film Festival with degreeing touches of surrealistic voodoo bringing haunted vitality to A-lan Holt's supernatural filmmaking debut. The drama stars a rather ubitiquitous triangle, the three individuals irrevocably tangled in a web ignited by one man's treacherous deceit. Betrayal goes beyond cheating when a women's friendship is involved, but sordid messiness is handled with unique twists and turns.

Sabrina Karlsson filters through as a powerful woman who isn't necessarily scorned.

This lush, sensually crafted film opens with a full figured woman with long curly tendrils, endless freckles, and pillowy lips. She unveils cards from her tarot deck, possibly seeing the threads of her future misfortune. She is a devoted girlfriend, mother, yogi, and painter, shifting between these roles, diligent and strong. She articulates fierce words with alluring intelligence and humbleness, employs the screen with poignant camera panning every inch of her rarely depicted flesh.

Her man, however, has a whole other second life, going on dates, stealing bittersweet sentiments, having Kodak glory with another woman. His world is rocked when she says, "I love you." It is obvious, in that moment the confession escapes, that deep emotional connection wasn't rendered fully in him. He cannot reciprocate response. In a way, maybe he is still in love with main character. Yet in this new, seemingly uncomplicated side life, this non heart involving hustle, he finds a missing piece that should have been found in his existing relationship.

The tarot woman discovers the affair. She is crushed. He is guilty, more so frightened. After all, she has alarming power and strength that could potentially be detrimental to his path. Perhaps those reasons rendered him incapable of being faithful, showing his putrid weakness.

Furthermore, the other woman isn't a simpering damsel. She is fiery, dignified, smart. She isn't abstract. She is fully rendered, a near mirror of her yogi friend. This reveals that the man is attracted to a certain type of feminine personality, but it doesn't redeem his error. The other woman finds out (in a horribly contemporary way) that he has a situation and is rightfully peeved.

However, despite great wrongs inflicted upon them by the cake eating cad, both women love him and want to stay committed in a relationship.

The plot thickens like sticky sap goodness straight out of a viciously pumped maple tree. As the other woman instructs yoga, letting out a fired spark, moving and gyrating lithe form to suspenseful music sweeping out from background to foreground, the passionately swift action suddenly pains her back. The allegiance of her exercising sisters comfort her, but there is only one who can heal, the one she didn't mean to hurt.

Writer/director A-lan Holt photographed by Luscombe.

This leads to an amazingly visceral moment of intimacy, an unexpected reaction from one woman to the other.

Inamorata is a remarkable must see short film. Seductive without being overtly erotic, all elements meld beautifully. The cast trio of Sabrina Karlsson, Joel L. Daniels, and Natasha Mmonatau have a refreshing chemistry together-- raw, subdued, authentic. As the narrative is sophisticatedly complex in its layered counterparts, these three actors maneuver through uncharted storms, evoking multifaceted depth using voice and body language. The visuals are immensely beautiful shot artworks, cinematography astounding and breathtaking. Magic dances around rendered script, each scene sparkling with triumph and bravery. The music shifts between serene pleasure and haunting renaissance, playing sharp cords to the surprise tale unfolding.  

This eighteen-minute piece delivers significant, metaphorical messages with its sharp eyed camera direction a Hitchcock meets Butler in a dimly lit alley fashion. One hopes that writer/director A-lan Holt creates more dynamic works to add in her repertoire. Her vision is definitely needed.