SHOOK: 3 STARS. “an intimate and empathetic story of everyday life.”
SYNOPSIS: In “Shook,” a new coming-of-age dramedy starring Saamer Usmani, and now playing in theatres, fledgling writer Ashish is almost crushed by the emotional weight of career rejection, a complicated romance and caring for an ill father.
CAST: Saamer Usmani, Bernard White, Amy Forsyth, Pamela Mala Sinha. Directed by Amar Wala.
REVIEW: “Shook” is a charming and often funny low-key look at mid-20s life, complete with romance, aging parents, career concerns and the anxiety of missing the last train home to the suburbs.
At its core “Shook” is an intimate story of everyday life for twenty-something Indian-Canadian writer Ashish (Saamer Usmani).
Struggling to find his voice as a writer post graduate school, he commutes from suburban Scarborough to a hip coffee shop in downtown Toronto where other writers sip lattes and bang away at their laptops.
As romance blossoms with the café’s barista Claire (Amy Forsyth), Ashish learns that his estranged father (Bernard White) has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Plagued by trust issues born from his father’s infidelity to his mother and his uncertainty of Claire’s motivations, Ash allows his cynical side to blossom, placing him at odds with his family and friends. “Everything in my life is uncertain now,” he tells Claire.
“Shook’s” story is firmly rooted in Scarborough and Ashish’s experience, but his dilemmas— work angst, caring for an ill parent and navigating romance—are universal. Despite some script inadequacies, director Amar Wala, who also wrote the movie, creates a relatable, sympathetic portrait of a guy who walks uneasily through the world.
Wala’s background as a documentary filmmaker manifests itself in the film’s palette of everyday life. The movie feels lived in, as if we’re stepping into Ashish’s life midstream.
Saamer Usmani deftly navigates Ashish’s complexities, and is ably supported by Sammy Azero, Faizan Khan, and Izad Etemadi as his ride or die pals. They bring a sense of humor and comradery to the story that makes Ashish’s rougher edges more palatable.
Stealing scenes, even if his story is underdeveloped, is Bernard White as Vijay, Ashish’s stubborn father. “Going to get drugs with my son,” he says as the pair go off to buy some medical marijuana, “every immigrant’s dream.”
“Shook” has some rough edges, but Wala’s ability to empathetically capture real life earns the film a recommend.
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