Writer-director Signe Baumane’s My Love Affair with Marriage is an incredible piece of work that seems to have incorporated all the bells and whistles of 21st century cinema. It’s presented in stylized animation, incorporating 2D and 3D techniques to keep the visuals as fresh and lively as its narrative. The film features a bevy of finely-produced musical numbers tailor made to emphasize the emotional weight of the main character’s many arcs on her road to self-actualization. The story is adult yet approachable and heartwarmingly inclusive of all sexes, even if the protagonist identifies as a woman and the story is definitely from a woman’s experiences. There is so much to applaud on the surface that many may neglect the undercurrent of good-natured storytelling buried underneath all of the flourishes. My Love Affair with Marriage emanates widely from its simplistic blueprint. Its basic plot is one that’s completely familiar, but it’s told with such honesty and vulnerability that it feels fresh and new.
The semi-autobiographical animated film follows a young woman, Zelma, on her 23-year quest for Perfect Love and Lasting Marriage, set against a backdrop of historic events in Eastern Europe. Pressured by Mythology Sirens to be the ideal woman and unable to free herself from the biology of her own brain, Zelma finds love and loses it multiple times before discovering who she really is.
The film is told from the point of view of its two narrators, Biology and Zelma, as they weave through a story of love, gender, marriage, abuse, hopes and society at large. Whereas Zelma narrates her personal story of finding love, the narration from Biology explores the scientific and factual insights behind the psychological and physiological aspects of human behavior and anatomy. It’s an interesting juxtaposition that never wears out its welcome, and this is all mixed with musical numbers interjected by Mythology Sirens, who represent the societal push to find a mate and start a family. These sequences fit firmly into the narrative puzzle, and Baumane is spot on in her instinctive rhythm and pacing.
Dagmara Domińczyk provides the voice for Zelma, who tells her story in the past tense with profundity and presence. Zelma speaks about her interactions with love; her first crush, her first sexual encounter, her first time feeling connected to her soon to be husband. We follow Zelma throughout her early life, watching her ascent into womanhood. Domińczyk’s narration is the perfect emotive counterpoint to Michele Pawk’s portrayal of the more straightforward, matter-of-fact Biology. Pawk conveys the antithesis to Zelma’s emotional underpinnings, playing as a defiant arch-nemesis to the hope and dreams of an aloof romantic. The banter is comical and poignant, working through well-paced vignettes with musical numbers providing vivid exposition. The American voice cast rounds out with Cameron Monaghan as Zelma’s first husband Sergei, Matthew Modine as Zelma’s second husband Bo, Stephen Lang as Zelma’s first tryst Jonas and Carolyn Baeumler as Zelma’s close college friend Darya.
My Love Affair with Marriage does well with the talent provided. Baumane’s creative world melds well with the performances delivered. Add to that the well-written musical numbers by Italian composer Kristian Sensini sung by Trio Limonāde, and you have a film that seamlessly flows with all the components in play.
Few moments in My Love Affair with Marriage lag. Baumane’s screenplay smartly gives credence to the important factors of Zelma’s journey and doesn’t meander on moments that may distract from the narrative or overall structure. The film takes these performances and matches them with lively, frenetic animation. Shapes and colors abound, filling the screen with fluid visuals that push the boundaries of the fantastical while also exhibiting the beauty of the mundane in Zelma’s world. Baumane’s direction handles all of these elements well.
Ensuring that the tall order of balancing the depth of the subject matter with the surreal musical interludes and the informative biological references blend well is no small feat. Baumane’s biggest accomplishment is making it all come together without fail, interweaving Zelma’s various detours on the road to love. For example, there is a shift in narrative where we explore Zelma’s second husband Bom who has a backstory that adds emotional weight to the arc of her journey. Baumane’s care and intimacy with the subject matter is a much-welcomed flourish to the film and the time spent outside of Zelma’s immediate world pays off well.
My Love Affair with Marriage is a passion project. The film plays as a heartfelt manifesto from a filmmaker who has spent many years painstakingly creating a piece of work that honestly means something to them, and it shows. The film has much to relate to as well as much to learn from, and that is a rare feat. With expert animation, nuanced voice acting and strong direction, this is a film to seek out, experience and discuss—and one in which to luxuriate. If you are looking for something unique in cinema, to quote the film but not its contextual intent, “Marriage Is Your Destiny.”
Photo courtesy of 8 Above
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