Not quite a comedy, but if you were to believe the audience at Peckhamplex, they’d have thought this was a sequel to Manhattan Murder Mystery. The Drama is far from funny, though it has those notes of lightness and the ever-present thrill of misunderstanding underscoring the whole project. That is enough to keep the Robert Pattinson and Zendaya-starring drama whirring; a crucial part of the comfort felt for the two of them is seeing it between them. That is what Kristoffer Borgli gets right, though much appears to be going wrong for him outside the acclaim of this recent film of his. You can tell where his influences come from more clearly here than with Dream Scenario, and it’s what makes and breaks The Drama all at once. An excellently crafted piece built around two extraordinary leading performances, which, despite the glam lifestyle and somewhat awkward, jutting parts, feels very natural.
That natural feeling is crucial. It feeds into a dynamic shift which feels so shocking, so questionable, that it questions whether emotional response justifies behaviour that would otherwise be reasons to end a relationship. The Drama is filled with those moments, from the purpose-driven, do-gooding deceit to the lashing out at a buried problem neither Emma (Zendaya) or Charlie (Pattinson) appears to understand. This is a character drama, and thus it’s crucial that we like not only the characters but those who associate with them. Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Rachel (Alana Haim) manage to add to this dynamic brilliantly, two versatile performances which could very well be leading the way if it were not for the isolated moments with Charlie or Emma. Both manage to worsen what is a deeply disturbing twist, and though it never feels like Borgli is trying to justify one side or the other, the conclusion he reaches may feel like a reflection of his desire for forgiveness. Whether it truly goes that deep, or if in fact he merely believes people like these characters would push on through, is somewhat irrelevant.
What makes the difference is in the display of romance in times of strife. There will never be an intimate connection without some level of fear, anxiety, or misunderstanding. How it unravels has been put to film countless times, and it’s rare you get a new offering or understanding of love. It is not Borgli who presents this, but he has the concept at hand. It’s moulded well by Zendaya and Pattinson, a pair with believable chemistry and acting talents beyond the scope of what a project like this can usually draw. All of it is built around their nuance as performers, their ability to scrape a comedic touch to an otherwise harrowing situation. What they do here is magnificent, a well-layered glimpse into an open-ended experience where the conclusion is as frenetic as the initial shift. Pair that with some exceptional direction, the what-if’s presented as mini flashforwards into a future that all works out, and you have some delightful material for reflection.
The Drama very nearly shifts itself into a forgettable proposition, rather than this softly provocative piece. It wants not a reaction, but a reason for the viewers to think. You get just that in the spots of anxiety-ridden silence, the dead air between two loved ones working through a tough reality check. The Drama manages to keep its bold plot twists and subsequent, reactionary moments in line with a realism lacking in other dramas. There’s a sense of working through the worst of it at the core of Zendaya and Pattinson’s performances, but there is, too, a lingering doubt at play throughout, which drives the film that little bit further. At times staggering, but its best moments are when Borgli takes a backseat, when his emphasis on those flashbacks has settled, and we’re left with a spiralling present that’s both enticing and entertaining.
