Spoilers have feelings too.

Sometimes to tug at the heartstrings a story has to show you heartless first. There’s obviously a middle ground between complete pragmatism and uncontrolled sentimentality, but to depict how toxic callousness can be this feature aims for the extremes just to make a point. In doing so, however, there’s also some side effects that might have been unintentional. Or perhaps not.

With Love and a Major Organ (2023) is directed by Kim Albright and written by Julia Lederer. Anabel (Anna Maguire) witnesses a man taking off his heart. She is a whimsical free spirit wanderer and daydreamer that pursues making art although everything and seemingly everyone in her life seems not to care. Feelings in this dystopia seem to be regulated by timed visits to a center and a life organizer app that unequivocally tells you your fate. Anabel refuses to comply much to the chagrin of her best friend and co-worker Casey (Donna Benedicto).

One day she randomly decides to start a conversation with the man seating at the bench at the park, George (Hamza Haq). She falls in love immediately and even carelessly, but when her feelings are not reciprocated she’s left distraught only to have the world cave in when her mother passes away. Backed into a corner, Anabel will take desperate measures that will change her life – but lose her bearings. Humour is present in the subtle touches with drama mixed in. It’s a fine example of dramedy with fantasy.

This is not the first time that a film portrays a carefree protagonist against a cruel world, but the way this movie just contrasts childlike wonder with cold practical efficiency feels also a cry between being young at heart and business minded. Wearing your heart on your sleeve exposes you to getting hurt, but repressing emotions just risks your mental health. However, this is just using film language to show us the basic principle of keeping your emotional health with individuality and artistry. It’s very solid storytelling work in abstract, but entirely comprehensible.

Highly recommended for open audiences. It uses a lot of figurative speech translated into visual imagery, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea. I do think it makes some great points regarding mental health and emotional well being with very clear film language. Worth a watch if you have a heart.

That will do for now.