Gods Waiting Room (2021 Tribeca Film Festival); Grade: B
Strictly Films welcomes you back to more coverage of this year's 2021 Tribeca Film Festival! Our next film on the block: Gods Waiting Room. Gods Waiting Room takes place around summer time in Tampa Bay, Florida, where it centers around three characters. The first Rosie (Nisalda Gonzalez) whom is an aspiring young musician, whom wants to live a life in New York, and is involved with a summertime fling with Jules (Matthew Leone). Jules is a drug dealer, whom is involved with a summertime fling with Jules, however has a bit of a behavior issue and is known to sleeping around. Another character featuring an ex felon (Tyler Higgs), who did time for murdering another man, is trying to re-establish his life back into society again.
Gods Waiting Room has a theme is which all characters are actually going through: Pain with their existence and struggling to find meaning in their lives. Rosie may have a lot of promise as she's an intelligent young woman and is a talented musician, however Rosie feels locked up in her surrounding due to living in a small town in Tampa and having a strict father as well. She feels quite empty inside and doesn't feel she'll reach her full potential that she was made for. Rosie just wants to live life to the fullest without feeling she's dragging along in chains, as she wants to live in a city that never sleeps. Jules struggles with purpose as he's nothing more than what the kids call it a "Plug". As Jules tries to get himself involved with something meaningful like a relationship with Rosie and not just using her for sex like the girls in the past, Jules is then reminded how much of a screw up he is later on as he makes a careless mistake, as Jules struggles understanding what is he made for in this world?! You can describe Jules like the product he's selling: Careless and Reckless. The ex felon not only struggles with understanding how to be in society once again, but is also coping with past memories that haunt the living hell out of him. You see the ex felon goes through a couple jobs in which he feels a great amount of emptiness, stress, and even trauma. It's not that the work is hard or anything, it's just that the ex felon doesn't know how to continue on where he feels he doesn't fit in at all.
When watching all three of these characters, the common theme all of them share is emptiness. It doesn't matter if you're a young woman, a drug dealer, or an ex felon... At a point in our lives, we all endure emptiness in some way, struggling to understand what is our main purpose in our existence?! I think that's a theme in which many young individuals in my generation and even this generation can relate to, as the world they're currently living in can be rather confusing much as to what is the point?! One can feel with the title, that our moral purpose is coming to God, as our lives is just a waiting room to seek out to God. It would actually make much sense considering all three of these characters are feeling a great amount of emptiness, as in the history of life often times those that come to God rediscover themselves and feel entirely whole. Could be a reach since this film doesn't say a single word about God, other than a reference to Jesus as to how Jules is feeling, but wouldn't be a bad interpretation given the fact with the title and characters and all.
Was actually truly enjoying Gods Waiting Room, as the story and characters were honestly well written, followed by some well written dialogue that does make you think deeply about the film in general. Really enjoyed the composed Score in this and felt the performances we're all really good. I do have a few flaws with this film however. One scene in particular that gets Jules in trouble with Rosie, I honestly don't understand given Jules knew well where Rosie would be at, just why he would openly just make a mistake like that?! I understand that in his careless and reckless nature as a drug dealer and drug consumer, but given the fact Rosie is giving him purpose that part just didn't make much sense. I also felt given the fact this film features a drug dealer and a ex felon, they could've at least change one of the characters into something else. Maybe one that is established in the world that has many grand accomplishments, however feels entirely empty inside, that would've made the theme standout more thaj this film featuring two characters that are almost in the way the same, regarding where they stand in society. One part in the end that was honestly... Eh. T'was kind of predictable, however does fulfill one character specifically meaning what he feels he was made to do in this world. However I just don't see why one character had another character do such a thing, given the fact the other character lost interest and is onto a life of their own.
I genuinely enjoyed Gods Waiting Room for what it is, felt in a way relaxing regarding pacing and story telling, as the theme display was spot on.
Overall, Gods Waiting Room was dope. I recommend checking this one out, especially if you're a fan of Little Children this film does bring that similar vibe to the table. -Mitch Smietana