OF HEARTS AND CASTLES | Omeleto Drama

A man meets a man for a night.


OF HEARTS AND CASTLES is used with permission from Ruben Navarro. Learn more at https://ruben-navarro.com.


Marcus is still reeling from a breakup, even months after it's happened. Though his friends try to cheer him up and take him out, he still carries a heavy burden of melancholy and loneliness within him.

On one of the nights that Marcus is out in Los Angeles, he meets a man outside the bar. They leave together, but the night goes in a different direction -- one that will connect them together in the deepest of ways.

Written and directed by Ruben Navarro, this heartfelt drama uses a relatable situation as a jumping-off point for its characters and storyline. Many can relate to a post-breakup malaise that can't easily be shaken off, no matter how much distraction is thrown at it or how much time has passed. But while the post-breakup narrative is a common one, this particular short is distinguished by its almost ravishing vulnerability, examining the very core of connection itself.

Like its main character Marcus, the look and feel of the film are moody, dark and ruminative, with shadowy cinematography and reflective pacing. It takes its time, allowing Marcus to slowly drop his guard and unburden himself, especially as he spends more time in the deeply empathetic, kindhearted presence of his companion.

Their dialogue together is sincere, able to dive deep into the heart of the matter -- one where Marcus reveals his isolation and how heartbreak continues to haunt him. The structure of events weaves between the early part of the encounter with the later one, with the earlier half focusing on Marcus and the second revealing more of his companion's story.

Actors Philemon Chambers and Luis Carazo have a dynamic that is less chemistry than an ability to be comfortable and unconditionally accepting of one another. Their connection, as it unfurls, is less the zing of flirtation and attraction, and more a shared depth of feeling -- one that allows both men to face the next day a little lighter and more wholehearted than before.

Unabashedly heartfelt and penetrating in its emotional intelligence, OF HEARTS AND CASTLES gets to the core of how sharing our deepest fears, suffering and vulnerabilities is a profound act of healing, both for the speaker and the listener. And when it becomes a mutual circle, it links us in ways that go beyond sex, romance and relationships. Instead, we connect at the level of our deepest humanity, soul to soul and heart to heart.