THIS PLACE Review – Modern Love Story

This Place is a queer romantic drama set for release next month starring K. Devery Jacobs and Priya Guns.

The emerging love between two young women, one an aspiring poet and the other a gifted university student, is complicated by their families’ histories, which bear the legacies of loss, migration and displacement.

V. T. Nayani directs and co-writes alongside K. Devery Jacobs and Golshan Adbmoulaie.

This Place tells an authentic love story that show both that falling in love doesn’t solve all your problems AND that the support of a partner can lend you strength you thought you weren’t capable of.

This film has been on my radar for months as it went from film festival to film festival gaining fame. I knew of K. Devery Jacobs from her starring role in Netflix urban fantasy The Order and horror Blood Quantum.

A Simple Romance

This is a pretty simple story as good romances should be. This is a proudly queer story, something we don’t see enough in of in current media but it is just the story of two people falling for each other. I also noted that both lead characters are the children of immigrants which definitely resonated with me. Perhaps a better way to put it is this isn’t just a story for 2SLGTBQIA people but a chance to take a real look at the lives of that community outside of tragedy and it is about time for that.

A notepad leading to these two properly meeting is cute and also leads well into learning more about Kawenniióhstha. The chemistry between the two actresses is instant and palpable. I know we’re working with film here so the process of getting to know and then fall each other has to be rushed but it doesn’t feel like that at all.

Malai

I really liked Malai’s story, it is clear she is academically talented and could have a bright future. However the guilt at seeing her brother’s struggle to support her leaves her struggling to make a choice. Still we see that she has a friend circle and an active social life which is good as she guides Kawenniióhstha. She is in a new and exciting city but it is clearly daunting to her.

It is hard not to be drawn to Malai she just immediately seems so cool, some of that is a front which perhaps only her brother and mentor see through. I think it is also just her true character and strength coming through.

The Weight of Family

I feel like the effect of family on relationships in film is rarely looked at like this. Usually it is about a family member not liking your significant other. However here its an examination of a generation struggling with the choices of those that came before. The fact that This Place shows both women confronting those decisions is refreshing and engaging.

This Place is the kind of story you can submerge yourself into just enjoying these two people getting to know each other and forming a real connection. You’ll anticipate the end with sadness because these are two are like friends you’re sad to lose.

This Place is available from selected Canadian theatres from 7 July 2023.