Mass is Mae Malaya’s first entry as a film critic for Film Police Reviews. The film is currently streaming on Hulu and Amazon Prime
The circumstances around the globe today, despite our slow recovery from the pandemic, did not stop other forms of catastrophic loss to flourish. Harassment, war, state-sponsored killings, and the continuous effects of violence everywhere, have truly affected how our minds have been shaped to contemplate life and its inevitable ending, grief, and longing. Fran Kranz’s directorial debut film Mass, is one of the most heaviest narrative films today on parents’ grief over their children’s lost lives following a school shooting.
Six years after the incident, Jay and Gail Perry (played by Jason Isaacs and Martha Plimpton respectively), are parents of one of the ten students who were murdered in a mass shooting. At first glance, even their hesitation to go out of their car is a poignant element in capturing the arising tension in the film. In a somber, vacant room of an Episcopalian church, they are set to meet the parents of the perpetrator. In a brief setup of the tables, chairs, and snacks, and a tissue box, a pair of social workers help the couples begin their recollection, and the audience in setting the aching mood.
Eventually, we see Richard and Linda (Reed Birney and Ann Dowd), arriving shortly. The social worker introduces them to each other and Jay says, “We’ve met actually. It was a long time ago”– revealing that this is not the first attempt to resolve their agonizing situation. But in reality, is there really anything more to resolve?
The couples exchanged in showing the photos of their children, recollecting how they looked, how they were as their kids at home, and what their dreams are. Of course, in those nuanced attempts to break the ice were eventually followed by breakdown and confrontation. In their intimate revelations, we also get to know the four-character piece and not only their kids, which definitely makes sense because the role of the parents in their childrens’ lives is very crucial during a child’s formative years.
The ensemble cast gives us almost two hours of brilliant performance, which to me, is a travesty, each time I recall the nominees for this year’s Academy Awards. Mass is also a well-put together storytelling despite it being Kranz’s first, but it is also true that there are certain elements missing.
While we know America as the “land of dreams”, it is also infamous for its gun violence issues. The US ranks first in the list of gun-owning countries, and in 2019 alone, there were 38,355 total deaths involving guns, as reported by CDC.
The film could have been more upfront in dealing with this social problem that continues to rise, but I also understand that it might be too heavy to deal with, as we are already hearing the parents’ grief, repentance, and yearning. The final scene is a heart wrenching reminder that, despite everything, parents have the biggest hearts for forgiveness, especially if it’s for their children’s peace.
Mass deserves more appreciation and the audience needs to see more of these personal recounts, to remind us of life, forgiveness, repentance, and peace.
