Film Review: Keep The Change Is A One Of A Kind Love Story
A New York City romantic comedy, Keep the Change is the unlikely love story of two people who meet in a support group. While David, an upper-class charmer, wants nothing to do with this world, Sarah fully embraces her individuality. When paired on an assignment to take a field trip over the Brooklyn Bridge, David is less than enthused. But what he doesn’t realize is that this quirky bundle of energy just might hold the key to his happiness.
Written and Directed by Rachel Israel, Keep The Change might be one of the most refreshing, sweetest films to come from Tribeca Film Festival. Presented as a casual love story between two New Yorkers, the film is also a look into the spectrums of autism and social disorders that can leave persons communally ostracized. With a phenomenal cast led by Brandon Polansky as David and Samantha Elisofon as Sarah, you cannot help but realize that the eagerness and vulnerability it takes to connect to another human being is a universal struggle.
What I love most about Israel’s film can be divided between two things; its cast and compassion. Israel used actors with autism and social disorders to play characters with autism and social disorders. Now this may not sound “revolutionary”, but in a world where Dustin Hoffman and Sean Penn are nominated/ win Oscars for playing roles that you, literally, have to live in your day to day, autism can feel more like a curse than a condition. When we think of autism, it seems to big and burdensome to be a disorder that allows human beings to still live life or, at least be hired as actors. Yet, Israel beautifully portrays and humbly evokes that autism and social disorders do NOT end life as much as re-define it. For David, going to his police-mandated summer camp enlightens and enlivens him, along with his family, to accept that he is “weird”, as he later puts it. David does everything to appear socially standard, easy-going, and charming according to his upper class upbringing, but Israel does well to instantly display and slowly build that David’s desire to fit in as “socially normal” has inhibited him from happiness and even growth. When he meets the bubbly Sarah, played vibrantly and with and infectious joy by Elisofon, the movie brightens tenfold. It is as if a breathe of fresh air comes to both the audience and David, as we all mutually discover that autism does not take away your ability to dream and live life as much as your ability to be seen as living. Each character is casual in their sexual desires, future ambitions, and personal joys that EVERYONE can relate to, and are not odyssean to manifest or feel. Thus, what Israel has done is give audiences a charming film of compassion.
Honestly, Keep The Change goes by like a thoughtful wind that teaches both David and audiences how to have compassion for their self. David is incredibly hard 0n himself, which makes him increasingly relatable. Thus, at just 94 minutes, I could have watched David and Sarah grow as human beings forever because their story helped me grow, as well, and exemplified the power of love to make you accept/ heal yourself. Thus, Israel’s film is, inadvertently but perfectly, paced to be educational. Yes, you learn more about autism, yet you learn more about humanity, and how, for however much we acknowledge each person is individual, we have the tendency to amass souls and toss away those that do not fit socially constructed molds. Moreover, this film is hilarious. Nicky Gottlieb is a ray of sunshine with his sparkling humor, of which you find yourself missing when not onscreen. Every time he appeared to banter and also teach David to accept himself, I wanted to applaud. Yes, Israel has made a film that is worth every applause it has received because it depicts New York, humanity, and love for how gorgeous it is.
Public Screenings:
Thursday, April 20 at 7:15PM at Cinepolis Chelsea 03 (WORLD PREMIERE)
Saturday, April 22 at 4:15PM at Cinepolis Chelsea 03
Monday, April 24 at 4:15PM at Cinepolis Chelsea 03
Tuesday, April 25 at 7:45PM at Cinepolis Chelsea 01
Sunday, April 30 at 5:45PM at Regal Battery Park Stadium 11
*Limited Tickets Available, Ticket Required
