Towing his suitcase and a giant Toblerone, Ben (Sathya Sridharan) arrives in Sri Lanka counting down the minutes until he reunites with his long-distance girlfriend, Suzanne (Anastasia Olowin). But from the moment they meet, the couple struggles with conflicting desires that only become more apparent as their vacation progresses.
Suzanne, who works in finance for an NGO in Sri Lanka, feels a duty to her clients that leads her to prioritize her work over the holidays. Meanwhile, Ben wants Suzanne’s full attention and to have a good time on vacation. Shaun Seneviratne’s feature-length directorial debut, Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts, follows the slow unraveling of Ben and Suzanne’s relationship as they realize their many differences.
Visually, the film is stunning. During a post-film Q&A, cinematographer Molly Scotti said the use of mixed filming mediums (including 16mm film) were meant to juxtapose the expectations vs. reality of Ben and Suzanne’s vacation.
Seneviratne said he emphasized visual storytelling in the movie’s production and that some of his inspiration came from silent films. But I also enjoyed the film’s audio and music choices, which highlighted the contrast of loud and quiet between scenes.
Centered around the couple’s positive and negative raw emotions, Seneviratne’s rom-com is a funny yet heartfelt look into a complicated relationship, in all its ups and downs, from heated disagreements to playful moments exploring scenic Sri Lanka.
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts
Narrative Feature Competition, World Premiere
Tuesday, March 12, 5:45pm, Alamo South LamarThursday, March 14, 2:30pm, Alamo South Lamar
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This article appears in March 8 • 2024.