God and religion meets The Internet and sex. Immovable object, unstoppable force.
Natalia Dyer lights up the screen in this short film that is wistfully familiar to anyone that's faced similar conflicts while growing up. I didn't attend a Catholic school, but I was raised Catholic, and - nostalgia isn't quite the right word, but this definitely brings some memories to call. The insular childhood. The staunch, archaic, and frankly harmful views of sex and social relationships. Self-discovery. VHS tapes.
In just 11 short minutes, writer and director Karen Maine says so much about the innocent ponderings that take us from curiosity to learning about our bodies; about the conflict between healthy, natural human behavior and the strict codes of conduct that are forced on us on societal and personal levels; and, notably, about the hypocrisy within the Catholic Church. All the while, we can't help but laugh: The whole scenario is both familiar and ridiculous, with those qualities feeding off one another in a loop.
The color in the picture seems a bit washed out, but perhaps that's intentional to aid the sense of nostalgia that's definitely built into 'Yes, god, yes.' Lines are duly delivered by the small cast while the camera lingers coyly on points of Alice's burgeoning interest. There's no mistaking that Dyer is centered here, and it's a joy to watch her very believably express the shock, confusion, uncertainty, and bliss that fills the short's duration. In 2021 she's already becoming a star, but one can only hope that there's much more ahead for her as an actress.
It's not at all difficult to find 'Yes, god, yes' online, and it's a quick, fun, amusing watch, if not a bit "not safe for work." Other films have explored this topic, certainly, but not necessarily with such a simple punch. Recommended view!
