“Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven”.  ~Tryon Edwards

Lovers In A Dangerous Time may already resonate with you thanks to Bruce Cockburn and the Barenaked Ladies, but the story line and unique musical maze from JBM may push the nostalgia further back than anticipated. The film, directed by May Charters and Mark Hug, is cleverly adaptive of tempo context and the music speaks tastefully, yet chills at times.

JBM, also known as Jesse Marchant was the main contributor to the film’s soundtrack, composing seven original tracks now available for purchase. The movie, a Canadian crafted piece full of a very (very) tight knit group of friends / family / colleagues delivered something attractive that also represented core staples (small town vs. city life, love, hockey, success, sibling rivalry). The storyline was relatable (for myself more like gulp-sore relatable).

These familiarities seemingly guide the film through situations, conversations and awkward exchanges, all of which takes place from childhood to, well, always? It’s the story of the one that got away, but also the one that didn’t get to go away. It’s the complex between Todd Timmins and Allison Adamson mixed with the perceptions of those engulfed in the life that exists and the one that is believed inside. It’s also the power struggle that is brought on by sports. It’s guy centric in many ways.

From the branding scene (which was one of the first scenes filmed) between the NHL star brother and Todd, or the awkward yet endearing reunion between Allison and Todd, or even the moment of Allison singing to herself – there were pockets of angst and realism that many Canadian films forget to link, instead worrying too much on placing Canadian-rich check marks.

What really worked was the dialect, emotion and connection felt between May Charters and Mark Hug on screen.

There was something effortless about the movements of Charters, her expressions and willingness to explore. Her dancing in the orchid, giggling on the ice or the polite smile that popped up – Charters was able to show a young woman letting go as best as she could without losing control. The dilemma between pursuing the career path or falling back into a comfort spot was delivered with compassion and truth. There was a level of maturity seen, which prompted an attentive eye, and through her own stream of fidgets and voices Charters expressed nervousness with absolute sincerity. This cheeky and locking ability then sparked a very poignant and believable delivery by Hug.

Playing the defeated can be daunting, but Hug took the role away from a focus on sorrow and made the viewer connect with the tribulations that occur in small towns through the eyes of Todd. Combining a mixture of smirks, ‘chirps’ and eye darts, Hug presented a roughed-up lost boy feel to acting, joining ego with personal expectations. The direction of the dialogue was executed with caution, it seemed the character was always balancing his thoughts. Hug didn’t let Todd slip away from his own insecurities—he bottled up the emotions just like many would seek to do, but it was how he chose to let these emotions seep out, which made for candid acting that didn’t disappoint. It really does show in a performance when actors do it all (writing, producing and starring) and make it of valuable worth to consume.

Key to note is the poise and talent of Bobby Timmins, played by Mark Wiebe. Wiebe did an incredible job working the baby brother meets star persona. He carried himself well and came across as someone who competes, generally, exuding a genuine likeability almost immediately. Sometimes you need those movies that have the ability to take you back to a memory, the one you tend to remember, hate to forget, but still hurt to understand. You end up taking that circuit in this film.

Read The Exclusive Interview with May Charters and Mark Hug