What Happened Was...

... a RO/EN language switch. Not only that though!

The plot of What Happened Was... is straightforward: Jackie Marsh (Karen Sillas), an executive assistant at a New York law firm, invites her colleague Michael (Tom Noonan) to her apartment for a first date. Essentially, the two co-workers have dinner and react to each other’s insecurities and paranoia. Or maybe they simply confront them in a conversation where the symbolic power shifts constantly.

The directing and camera work are excellent and capable to manage the limitations of space with a few different techniques. The camera movements clarify the relationships between these two characters and set the tone of the scenes. For instance, during the first 10 minutes, the music, editing, and visuals establish the female lead’s background before she speaks a single word. This approach reminds me of Hitchcock, who often used similar techniques (visual cues) to establish characterization and background.

In its simplest form, the film is a one-act play (written by Noonan) about two lonely people struggling to communicate their intentions. Haunted by their pasts, they shift between a basic need for isolation and the hope (or the desire) that someone will eventually rescue them.

But could this be remotely possible? Not going to answer :)

P.S.: Tom Noonan's own play-turned-film won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Feature in 1994.