Title: The Man on Her Mind

Starring: Amy McAllister, Samuel James, Georgia Mackenzie and Shane Attwooll

Engaging in relatively new experiences that have not yet been fully explored can be truly harrowing and terrifying situations for anyone, no matter how much they’re seeking a change in their lives. Exploring that uncharted territory is intriguingly presented in several circumstances in the new romantic comedy, ‘The Man on Her Mind.’ The project is one of the first major film roles for both lead actors, Amy McAllister and Samuel James, and also the feature film directorial debut of co-helmer, Bruce Guthrie. Despite the movie being their true introduction to the genre, the actors and filmmaker, along with co-director and writer, Alan Hruska, creatively showcased the characters’ somewhat feigned willingness to embrace new personal relationships.

‘The Man on Her Mind’ chronicles the unusual courtship of two lonely New Yorkers who rely on their active fantasies to fulfill the emotional voids of their realities. Nellie (McAllister) is a seemingly prim young woman with a bright career in publishing, but is actually a commitment-phobic loner who enjoys spending time in her small, isolated Manhattan apartment. She insists to her older sister, Janet (Georgia Mackenzie), who’s worried about her personal life, that she’s dating Jack (James), a super-suave, fast-talking lawyer.

Nellie and Jack initially appear to be mismatched, but Janet has no reason to truly worry about the clandestine affair her sister is carrying on. Jack doesn’t actually exist, as he’s just a figment of Nellie’s over-active imagination. Nellie created her relationship with Jack in her head, in an effort to make Janet’s neighbor, Leonard (James in a duel role), more appealing. After Nellie and Leonard had an uneventful blind date several months before, he also created his own imaginary lover (McAllister in a duel role), who features the more attractive attributes of Nellie.

When Nellie and Leonard finally do meet again, after Janet and her husband, Frank (Shane Attwooll), insist they give their romantic relationship another chance, they’re forced to compare and contrast their ideals. As they also begin to compare their nonexistent partners with their real-life counterparts, they face the difficult decision of choosing the person they’ve created, or the real-life person their illusions are based on.

The eccentric lead characters Hruska created in Nellie and Leonard, who feel more at ease and in control of their happiness and destinies when they interact with their illusions, are enthrallingly reminiscent of the unconventional New Yorkers Woody Allen has crafted in his films throughout his career. The introverted and seemingly reserved protagonists are powerfully presented as being able to mirror the emotions and lifestyles of the people around them, including the bliss Janet and Frank apparently have in their marriage. But further exploration into the emotional struggles the two apprehensive adults the writer-director created enthralling proves that people are often unable to truly mature and take responsibility for their lives until they meet someone who undoubtedly accepts their true personalities.

McAllister and James were the wise choices to portray the emotionally complex and distinct dual roles throughout ‘The Man on Her Mind.’ The two actors effortlessly transitioned from the uptight, pretentious Nellie and Leonard, who were unwillingly and unable to easily move past their unease of true commitment, to the carefree illusions the two conflicted protagonists created of the other person. The two actors naturally emphasized the ever-present discontent Nellie and Leonard felt towards true love and confirming to society’s pre-conceived notion of what it truly means to be happy. But after the two troubled main characters allowed themselves to believe they’re worthy of true love after connecting with each other, McAllister and James also captivatingly stressed the stunning revelations people can experience after meeting someone who understands them.

The captivating emotional transformations in both Nellie and Leonard are avidly emphasized by the fascinating cinematography by Director of Photography, Scott Miller. While the majority of the romantic comedy is set in Nellie’s small Manhattan apartment and a couple of rooms in Leonard’s disarrayed house in upstate New York, the cinematographer effortlessly utilized clever angles to showcase the characters’ developing relationship. From the wide viewpoints of the two troubled protagonists physically distancing themselves from each other as they initially start talking to each other, to the close-ups of the heated discussions on what they actually expect from their growing relationship, Miller powerfully highlighted the natural passion that grew amongst them as they connected over their distrust of the world.

‘The Man on Her Mind’ is an enthralling examination of the pained feelings of distrust and inability to love cynical adults are forced to contend with as they witness the happiness of everyone around them. Nellie and Leonard are the perfect representations of people who feel more at ease living through elaborately unrealistic fantasies than overcoming the painful obstacles they’ve been forced to face during their lives. With the aid of the riveting cinematography from Miller, who skillfully emphasized the varying emotions the two characters confront throughout the story, the romantic comedy is a commanding chronicle of how true love can powerfully improve a person’s outlook on life.

Technical: B+

Written by: Karen Benardello