Céline Roustan

Cas and Naomi are inseparable BFFs. Whether they’re in class or out of school, you’ll find them side by side, their deep bond injecting their friendship with a sibling level of intimacy. However, with this particular stage of their lives coming to an end, their plans for their respective futures threaten to separate them. We’ve seen so many films where high school sweethearts are separated after graduation, with Marlon Brando, writer/director Vincent Tilanus depicts the same situation, but with friendship replacing romance. Illustrating that such separations can be equally heartbreaking, if not even more devastating.

In a way, graduation subtly emerges as the antagonist in Tilanus’ film. As it feels like this change forces Cas and Naomi to grow up, prompting them to make choices that will inevitably change their lives and their friendship. No matter how they try to avoid it, we all know that it is inevitable. It’s this moment that provides the most universal theme of this film, as we’ve all had to (or will have to) make a decision at that young age that has affected the rest of our lives. The short evoking a certain nostalgia for the innocence and naivety in the lead-up to such events.

Jetske Lieber (L) and Tijn Winters stars as friends Naomi and Cas in Marlon Brando

Romantic relationships are often the core of many stories, but platonic love can be just as important and seeing such a strong bond form between two friends is incredibly engaging. Tilanus portrays that friendship by depicting it through multiple vignettes – the film packing 40 scenes in its 18-minute runtime. These brief glimpses into the lives of Cas and Naomi allow us to grasp the intimacy they share, the fun they have together and how vulnerable they are with each other. Through the quick cuts and the color palette, their youthful energy is effectively echoed throughout the short. A relationship is made of many moments, and that is exactly what Tilanus captures in his film.

But just like every story where an unavoidable and irreversible change is about to happen, there is a bittersweetness to Marlon Brando. From the fear of their impending separation, to being forced to move in separate directions, the film also captures the moment when we come to terms with the fact that life is forever moving forward and there’s nothing we can do to stop it. I especially loved the last scene of the short, where Tilanus retains a sense of realism by avoiding a saccharine reunion, but still manages one last look at the genuine love between his two protagonists.

Naomi and Cas find their deep bond pulled apart by diverging future paths in Marlon Brando

The fact that Tilanus focused on a friendship already brought a fresh twist to this type of coming of age story, yet it’s Tijn Winters and Jetske Lieber in the lead roles that make the film utterly charming. Their performances instantly make you fall in love with them and as you become entangled in the energy and dynamic of their friendship, it just makes its downfall all the more heartbreaking.

Marlon Brando had its first festival selection at the 2020 “edition” of the Cannes Semaine de la critique, and went on to be screened at TIFF in the same year and Palm Springs ShortFest in the following year. Tilanus is now working on the post-production of his feature debut.