By Valerie Milano
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/26/23 – Recently released Maybe Someday on Amazon & AppleTV, a dramatic comedy written, directed, and starring Michelle Ehlen. From the moment Maybe Someday begins, it’s all too obvious that heartbreak is the core emotion of the narrative. When non-binary lesbian Jay (Ehlen, also serving as the film’s writer) arrives at the home of Lily (Jeneen Robinson), who we then learn is Jay’s estranged wife, there’s a sense of defeat in her delivery. We catch her realigning her breath and her wits before entering Lily’s apartment for a casual dinner. Being shot from Jay’s perspective also means the intimacy and awkwardness is inescapable, with her sadness and Lily’s more pleasant demeanor a stark contrast, driving home that all too unfortunate reality of loving someone who no longer loves you.
Michelle Ehlen provides a raw and realistic portrayal of the character Jay, who is battling a mixture of denial and depression on what appears to be a long road ahead to fully recover from her divorce. Feeling almost documentary-like in its approach to its storytelling, the acting ensemble all bring a sense of realism to their roles. Jay’s journey of self-discovery sets her on a path towards Los Angeles. She claims it’s always been a dream of hers, though it seems more that it’s the easiest place to run away from heartbreak and humiliation. On the way she stops in to visit childhood friend Jess (Shaela Cook), now divorced and a single mother, who, as we learn through a series of flashbacks, was a formative figure in the young Jay’s journey towards realizing her sexuality. Much of the energy of the film occurred in these flashbacks scenes and young Eliza Blair provides a stellar performance as the teenager Jay.
Formative she may have been, Jess is seemingly unaware of the affection Jay has always had for her. This cyclical mentality of being attracted to an unattainable friend is one that remains unbroken Jay, who is struggling to deal with her fear of rejection. The film initially paints their friendship with a familiar brush, but, thankfully, as Maybe Someday progresses so too does their dynamic, with deep-seated wounds, possible resentments, and hidden truths coming to light.
What gives Maybe Someday a much-needed lift is the introduction of the character Tommy (Charlie Steers), who livens up the film with his terrible stand-up comedy and brash inappropriateness. Newcomer Charlie Steers is a scene-stealer. Over time we come to understand that his loud obnoxiousness is masking his own pain, with he and Jay finding themselves to be kindred spirits. Jess finds Tommy to be a bit much and begins to wonder why Jay is spending more and more time hanging out with Tommy. What eventually bubbles to the surface is Jess’ recollection of how much Jay once cared for her. So much empathy goes out to this character and director/writer Ehlen delivers a subtle, layered performance as Jay.
Maybe Someday has a free-flowing dramatic progression that mimics the mundaneness of everyday life. As a result, the movie may seem slow to viewers who prefer straightforward plot development. However, Ehlen makes those everyday moments interesting by connecting them to Jay’s memories of adolescence. Jay’s flashbacks are brighter, more colorful, and more hopeful than her present reality, giving viewers brief resting periods from the restrained tone and neutral color palette of the film. Ehlen connects these flashbacks to Jay’s present with soft rock songs that ease viewers into the excitement and nostalgia of Jay’s younger years. As a whole, the structure of the film compares and contrasts coming of age dilemmas with the struggles of a midlife crisis.
Aiming for comedy without resorting to exaggerated situational set-pieces, and honing a sense of drama that stems from a real fear of those in open relationships, Maybe Someday is a well-rounded feature that revels in its grounded mind-frame. It may not be the most exciting film, but it’s smart in its narrative depiction and there’s a beautiful truth running through it, with Ehlen’s imperfect Jay managing to be a wholly relatable character in spite of her specific sexual identity.
In an interview with THT, Michelle Ehlen explained: “I was inspired to create this film after going through a divorce and moving cross country to start my life over again, but struggling to do so. My relationships as a queer person I’m sure reflect a lot of people’s experiences – unrequited love, struggling to let go and move on, and gravitating toward platonic relationships during times when I needed a respite from the inherent complications of romantic love. However, many of these experiences aren’t accurately portrayed in movies, and when they are, it usually ends with romantic love curing all wounds.”
Maybe Someday has had a welcome reception at a number of film festivals – including the Outfest in West Hollywood, Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose, Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco, OutSouth Queer Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina, and the Albuquerque Film and Music Experience. This is Michelle Ehlen’s fifth feature film and first dramatic film. She is known for her comedies which satirize gender, sexuality, stereotypes and identity. Her previous lesbian comedy trilogy was Butch Jamie, Heterosexual Jill, and S&M Sally.
