Whistler Film Festival Screening: ‘Permission’

By Peter Belsito.

A seemingly casual comedy proceeds methodically to personal disaster and maturation for two New Yorkers.

In Permission directed by Brian Crano, the question is, “What if?”

By that we mean before you — anyone — makes a “permanent” life-setting decision what if (???) one could instead examine alternatives JUST to know “they”, i.e., “other choices” are out there and you “lived them”.

What if??? indeed….

A New York couple has been happily living together for a number of years.

On the verge of marriage, a friend suggests that maybe they owe it to themselves to play the field a bit before tying the knot forever. No jealousy, no recriminations, it’s just sex, right?

Will, husband to be played by Dan Stevens is even there and approves of wife to be Anna’s (Rebecca Hall) would-be lover who tries to pick her up at a local bar.

So what if there is just a tinge of jealousy when they discuss it the next day?

After all, he has just met a sexy and available customer (Gina Gershon) in his furniture-making shop, so what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, n’est-ce pas?

Not so easy and of course, complications ensue, because sex without emotions is difficult to navigate, and sharing your partner in a temporary polyamorous situation is probably not for everyone.

We are also introduced to another couple (gay men) who are going through their own couple crisis because one wants to adopt a child, and the other doesn’t figure parenting into his future.

A very attractive cast makes this journey a curious if very pleasurable one, and some thought-provoking insights into human behavior are provided along the way.

Even the best intentions are sometimes paved in cobblestones.

I found the film troubling in that no matter the best intentions human emotions are deep and complex and not to be tampered with. The good characters and well meaning people here unleash forces beyond their control. Doomed if you do, doomed if you don’t.

Director: Brian Crano Brian Crano wrote and directed A Bag of Hammers and Permission. His short, Dog Food, premiered at SXSW before playing 30 festivals and was selected for the VIMEO staff pick. Crano trained at UCLA, School of Theatre Film and Television and The London Academy of the Dramatic Arts.

“A little gem.” Matthew Passantino, The Cinemaholic

“…a delightfully entertaining film…” Ally Johnson, The Playlist

Premiered at Tribeca Film Festival

U.S. distribution by Leonard Shapiro’s Good Deed Entertainment. International sales agent, Film Constellation has licensed the film to Pacific Northwest Pictures for Canada, Sycomad for So. Korea, Falcon for the Middle East and Red Apollo Group for VOD in China.

96 mins | 2017 | English | Transgressive Tales