There's much to admire about 'What if it works'. Romi Trower has written and directed a very personal and at times confronting drama which has a few lighter moments to humanise and ease the pain that is being depicted so beautifully by her actors. Essentially this is a two hander, even though it has a welcome comeback for Kaarin Fairfax (a terrific and all too absent actor from our screens) and features several supporting and incidental characters.
An unlikely pairing of an OCD with a Multiple Personality Disorder makes for an interesting set of quirks and traumas alike, with Luke Ford and Anna Samson truly inhabiting their challenging roles. Luke Ford is a terrific actor (an award winner for 'Black Balloon' nearly a decade ago, and Anna Samson is a revelation for me here, as I was unfamiliar with her work. There is something intrinsically likable about Luke; he seems to be drawn to damaged or challenged figures, but he brings huge warmth and heart to 'Adrian'. It is to be sure, an overly mannered performance, and depending on whether a viewer can appreciate both the condition that the actor is portraying as well as the fact that he is an actor bringing the script to life, this may be too heightened a performance, but he won me over.
Anna Samson has an equally difficult challenge; set of challenges with multiple personalities to explore and portray with a point of difference for each one. Her range is impressive and I look forward to seeing more major films for this actress.
There is a sweetness to 'What if it works' that kept me connected; even when I was a little distanced by the self conscious style of a number of the performances. It is not an easy tightrope to walk in bringing mental illness and conditions as debilitating as these, yet still making a narrative that is palatable for audiences. I hope this film finds an audience, as it is very hope-filled and sincere in its wish to take some stigma out of illness, and replace it with life and love and positivity.
