DO I KNOW YOU FROM SOMEWHERE?

Canada | 2024 | 79m | English

Cast: Caroline Bell, Ian Ottis Goff, Mallory Amirault, Gillian Salmon

Director(s): Arianna Martinez

Several years after their meet-cute — at a wedding, of course — Olive (Caroline Bell) and Benny (Ian Ottis Goff) are spending an entirely ordinary day at their lake house. Until, that is, things start to shift, little by little. At first it’s just an apparently misplaced package or some scrambled letters on the fridge. Then, it’s more meaningful stuff. And then, almost casually, Olive finds Benny replaced by a woman named Ada (Mallory Amirault), who can’t understand why Olive doesn’t know her. They’ve been together for years, after all. Since they met at that wedding.

Working from a script she co-wrote with producer Gordon Mihan, Martinez keeps the storytelling clear and coherent even when her characters don’t know what’s happening, using a slightly theatrical style and making the most of a very limited budget. And New Brunswick stage actor and playwright Bell is sensational in her first film role as Olive. She glows — sometimes literally — as a woman slowly realizing she might not have been living the life she wants, and grappling with everything that means. It’s slippery and strange, and sort of wonderful. You’ll want to hold this one close.

Courtesy of TIFF

TIFF 24 REVIEW BY: DARREN ZAKUS

DATE: SEPTEMBER 6, 2024

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

Do I Know You From Somewhere? features two excellent performances from Caroline Bell and Ian Ottis Goff that stir up all the emotions within viewers as this beautiful story of love, identity and sexuality unfolds in this stunning Canadian film.

What would you do if the life you thought you knew was disappearing before your eyes? Would you fight to protect it, or embrace the alternate life you never knew existed and all its potential? That is the central question at the centre of Arianna Martinez’s Do I Know You From Somewhere? One of the best parts of film festivals is discovering smaller films that you won’t easily find at your local megaplex amid the blockbuster releases, and finding this little Canadian gem of a film was a true treat.

Shot over the period of 24 days in New Brunswick, Canada, this film explores themes of love, connection, and sexuality, all revolving around the central idea of how a single choice can drastically change the course of your life. Mixing in elements of science fiction as Olive’s two potential lives appear to her and begin to blur the lines of reality, the film’s narrative takes on a unique tone that draws the audience into Olive’s journey over the seventy-nine minute runtime. It’s a poignant exploration of sexuality inspired by writer and director Martinez’s own journey with their bisexuality that starts off incredibly strong with the choice it places in front of Olive. The writing of Olive and Benny captures the conflicting emotions within each of them, creating an engaging emotional narrative that sets the audience up for the emotions that are to come with the story’s conclusion. While the pacing slightly drags in the film’s middle act, by the time it reaches its conclusion and the emotional catharsis for both Olive and Benny is revealed, it's impossible not to be moved by this film and left reflecting on your life choices that have led you to the individual you are today. Plus, the film’s final scene is a beautiful moment that simultaneously tugs only our heart strings and leaves you feeling optimistic, creating a perfect final note for the film to end on.

Caroline Bell does a great job of balancing Olive’s love for Benny with the pull towards this new life she is discovering, helping to create a true internal dilemma within her character. This nuanced performance helps to invest the audience in the emotional stakes of the story, setting viewers up to be vulnerable in the film’s final act when Olive makes her decision of a life with or without Benny. But what makes the film that much more emotionally charged is the excellent performance of Ian Ottis Goff as Benny. Goff brings a tender sweetness to Benny, creating an individual that you can’t help but instantly fall in love with and want to be best friends with. His personality brightens up every scene with a lively pep, while the understanding and compassion he instills Benny with makes Olive’s choice that much more devastating as you know no matter what she chooses, Benny is going to want that for her… even if it means he never met her and fell in love with her.

As a pairing, Bell and Goff are brilliant, effortlessly creating a meaningful connection between their characters that has a playfulness as their characters meet for the first time that will have you laughing as their love blossoms, and a deep sorrow and respect as they navigate their changing reality and the notion that maybe they aren’t meant to be together. Together, they’ll make you laugh, they’ll make you smile with their on screen chemistry, and even tug on your heart strings and have you pondering your life decisions by the time the credits roll, and what more can you ask for to bring to life such a sentimental story.

Packing an emotional punch that will hit viewers in all the feelings thanks to its beautiful story and the brilliant work of Caroline Bell and Ian Ottis Goff, Do I Know You From Somewhere? is a spellbinding experience that takes audiences on an unforgettable exploration of love, identity and sexuality that is a hidden gem of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.