Gamma Rays (2023)

User Review

• 

  ScreenZealots

  6 / 10

  Told through the lives of three young individuals navigating personal struggles and the complexities of their own identities, “Gamma Rays” is a quietly engaging exploration of immigrant life in Montreal. Shot with a sense of realism and featuring a cast of non-professional actors, the film feels more like a slice-of-life documentary than a traditional narrative. Unpolished and sometimes meandering, director Henry Bernadet’s film captures small but significant moments that define the immigrant experience.
  
  The loosely structured (and sometimes frustrating story features three interconnected vignettes revolving around Abdel (Yassine Jabrane), Fatima (Chaïmaa Zineddine Elidrissi), and Toussaint (Chris Kanyembuga). Abdel’s life is upended when his lively cousin Omar arrives for the summer, and the simple mistake of sending Omar out on his own leads to a crisis when he gets lost in an unfamiliar city. Working as a supermarket cashier, Fatima is juggling the stress of a new job while also dealing with a debt to a drug dealer. Finally there’s Toussaint, an intelligent introvert who finds a message in a bottle while fishing that will change his outlook on the world.
  
  The subtle storytelling works well. The film doesn’t rush to resolve the characters’ issues or provide tidy endings, allowing space for the audience to sit with the uncomfortable and often messy nature of life. The slow pace is too meditative at the loose structure meanders more than necessary, but the realism makes the stories of each character feel grounded and authentic.
  
  The non-professional performances of course feel incredibly natural. Each actor brings a genuine sense of vulnerability and relatability to their role, making the characters seem real and approachable. There’s something refreshing about watching a film that doesn’t feel overly scripted and manufactured but instead offers a raw, unfiltered look at immigrant life.
  
  Bernadet blends a mix of drama and comedy, using moments of light humor to balance out the heavier themes of belonging, struggle, and self-discovery. However, the film does require a certain amount of patience from audiences. The pacing is slow, and some story lines are more compelling than others. This is not a flashy film, but one that’s all about letting these small, personal stories have plenty of room to breathe.
  
  Character-driven and filled with honesty and depth, “Gamma Rays” is as much about the nuances of human connection as it is about the immigrant experience.
  
  By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS

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