Céline Roustan
Jane and Teddy have been going to couples therapy with little success and it’s beginning to look like divorce could be their only option… until a single session alters the course of their marriage forever. The Breakthrough, written and directed by Daniel Sinclair (Dinner with Holly) and produced by the team behind previous S/W pick Blocks – Kate Chamuris, Valerie Steinberg, and Bridget Moloney – delivers a dark comedy that strikes the perfect balance between the insanity of its concept and the relatable disconnect between its central couple.
“I have always been a reluctant composter despite its many benefits”
“The concept came out of a conversation with writer friend, Joe Sousa”, Sinclair shared with us as he discusses the origins of his short. An EP on the film, Sousa pushed him to write The Breakthrough and when it came down to fleshing out the characters, as a married man, Sinclair of course drew inspiration from his own marriage. “I have always been a reluctant composter despite its many benefits”, he confessed after insisting that his marriage (to producer Moloney) is in nothing like Jane and Teddy’s. “I am neither Jane nor Teddy”, he added, but his characters are one of the true strengths of the screenplay, as both are relatable and neither are definitively right or wrong in their arguments.
The film is split into three parts, reflecting the journey of Jane and Teddy, and their marriage, throughout the short’s 14-minute duration. In the exposition, we see how their relationship is crumbling and as the tension mounts they reach a point of no return, which you could call the (titular) breakthrough in their relationship. Although they separate for a brief moment, allowing the audience to see the individual characters on their own, they ultimately reunite, finding their way back to each other through an extreme situation. While Dr. Angelo can still take some of the credit for their reunion, their survival instincts might have done more for the couple than all of their therapy sessions combined.
Kristin Slaysman in her role as Dr. Angleo in The Breakthrough
With the editing providing the film with a good rhythm and allowing it to find its perfect comedic tone, Sinclair and his editor, Josh Crockett (co-director on Dinner with Holly), also make sure the short gives ample space for the story of the couple to evolve as well. Making sure they hit both the funny beats, and the sweeter ones, along the way. However, it’s in the narrative of the piece where the real impact lies and I have to admit that the first time I watched the film its turning point truly caught me off guard and made me physically react in my seat.
Sinclair made a point of shouting out all the production members that made the special effects in this sequence both compelling and believable. From makeup artist Alexandra Bayless, who crafted two separate prosthetics for the scene, to DP Robert Nachman, who came up with the process of how to create the reveal on screen. Of course credit also has to go to Kristin Slaysman, for her “very willing, generous, and hilarious performance” as Dr. Angelo. Together, all three make that moment truly land and while it is only a few seconds in the fourteen minutes of the film, it serves as the foundation for the dark comedy in The Breakthrough and draws the audience even deeper into the narrative.
Ben Sinclair stars as Teddy (R) alongside Greta Lee (L) as his wife, Jane.
The two lead actors, Greta Lee – already known from her roles in Past Lives and The Morning Show – and Ben Sinclair – co-creator and star of Vimeo web series and HBO show High Maintenance – also deserve recognition for their performances. The chemistry and delivery during their arguments paints such a realistic portrait of Jane and Teddy and expertly captures the complexities of the relationship. From the love that brought them together, to the resentment that built over the years, their facial expressions perfectly align with the film’s tone, effortlessly evoking empathy from the audience and making them root for the characters without hesitation.
With The Breakthrough making its World Premiere at the 2023 edition of SXSW, the short went on to be selected at multiple festivals, including the Palm Springs ShortFest, Just For Laughs and Salute Your Shorts. Along its festival journey, it picked up several awards, setting the stage for its online release, which we are delighted to host. Currently, Sinclair is in the process of developing the short into a feature film.