BORED IN THE U.S.A.: A Meditative Piece That Shines In Aesthetics Yet Lacks In Fuel

We always grapple with the “what ifs” whether it be our relationships, careers, or the simple day to day choices that we make. It’s these choices that continually mold and shape who we are; they are a constant reminder that we are in control of our own narratives.

In Bored in the U.S.A., filmmaker Mike Finazzo brings an organic love story that encapsulates one day of candid conversations and emotional connections that push its characters into a pool of genuine yet risky choices. Their experience with one another helps define what happiness means and provides possible answers in their complicated circumstances.

Set in Baltimore, Maryland, this indie film isn’t that kind of story where two destined individuals run to each other with open arms in the end. It certainly plays with this thought, but it’s a film that realistically and silently explores the landscape of lost love and potential.

Wrapped in natural prose, the film floats with subtlety and pause. It’s definitely not a film for everyone, especially those who gravitate and thrive off of traditional narratives that are often stuffed with recurring dialogue.

Finazzo’s script doesn’t carry refined approaches to style and speech; and it certainly doesn’t need any, as it’s a story driven by realism. Though the sentiments and techniques are executed gracefully, Bored in the U.S.A.’s characters lack the chemistry needed to have us stay invested in their journey.

Bonding Over Unhappiness

Kelly (Kelly Lloyd) and Chris (Chris Milner) are brought together by…you guessed it, boredom. Kelly is a bored and unhappy housewife who lives a repetitive and monotonous life, often wandering through the Baltimore streets enclosed in her thoughts. Having emotionally fallen out of her marriage, she lacks the right person in her life to share a genuine connection with.

Chris is an Englishman who has left his job (he works for the same company Kelly’s husband works for) and is soon on his way back home to England where his fiancee awaits. Grappling with feelings of unfulfillment and skepticism, he’s unsure whether flying back home is the right decision.

They bump into each other at a cafe and decide to spend the day together before Chris leaves for his long journey back home that very night. Having met years before, they reconnect over their shared love for old cinema and honest conversations.

Their friendship opens up easily; they share each other’s doubts, fears, and hopes while walking through the quaint streets and alleyways of Baltimore. They connect through shared feelings of disconnect, skepticism, and regret in their own worlds. It’s a connection that they quietly immerse themselves in, each flirting with the thought of being together.

Simplicity Framed By Black And White

Bored in the U.S.A. is certainly infused with simplicity even when it comes to its color. Using black and white, Finazzo crafts a simple world that woefully carries silent complexities. Through this lense, he crafts a relatable world where people carry on with ordinary humanly duties, yet quietly hold complicated emotions that have changed and evolved.

Imbuing with nostalgia, not only does the film live in black and white, it gives props to old Hollywood films and the cinematic experience. In parallel, this stylistic and thematic approach evokes a desire for something authentic and comforting, which is exactly what the two leads in the film struggle with and explore.

He frames his shots with the quaint walkways of Baltimore and Chris and Kelly sitting side by side with one another at various spots around the city. With the romantic music playing in the background, many times it feels like we’re in a picturesque town in France.

We feel as though we are in a different time, a time in the past. And this concept of time and place is very reflective of the experiences of our protagonists. Kelly endures the same routine every day at home with her husband in a seasoned marriage that carries a shelf life. Chris is hesitant to leave his present life in Baltimore, looking ahead anxiously and skeptically at his impending marriage.

Though Natural, Performances Lack Chemistry

Finazzo does well in grasping the intricate sensitivities of the human condition. He conscientiously utilizes silence and day to day conversations as a narrative tool. Not to mention, poetic cinematography that speaks to many levels of his characters. These small nuances showers the film with the right intent, yet the pieces that lack in the overall picture are the performances.

Though the aesthetics are all very well crafted, the characters lack the fuel to make us want to root for them. His actors are unable to carry the weight of the complicated emptiness. Chris and Kelly fail to share a chemistry palpable enough for us to stay rooted in their journey. Lloyd and Milner deliver natural performances, yet it feels like one or both of the actors were miscast.

Their interactions with one another feel rather shallow at times. This shallowness might have been used with the intention to cohesively navigate through the subtlety and indieness of the film, yet there isn’t any sort of spark that seeps through the screen.

At times, it’s difficult to grasp the fondness and genuineness between these potential lovers through their consistently awkward exchanges. Though the awkwardness seems charming at first, it carries on further in the film that makes us doubt their potential for one another.

Bored in the U.S.A.: Conclusion

There’s a scene where Kelly and Chris are chatting about His Girl Friday after seeing it in the cinema. They reflect on the choices Hildy Johnson made that feeds into their own personal conflicts. “Life is simpler in black and white,” Chris says. The film ingratiates itself with simplicity to the point where it leaves out depth and chemistry that makes the characters rather pedestrian.

Though the performances lack charisma, Bored in the U.S.A. is a beautifully-shot film with conscientious intentions and techniques. It’s these techniques that perk up our eyes and ears for whatever Finazzo does next.

What are some of your favorite films about complicated relationships? Please share by commenting below!

Bored in the U.S.A. is currently on Amazon Prime and Vimeo.