Taking a cue from the meaning of the film’s title which means “the desire to see with fresh eyes; longing to feel intensely again”, within its 17-minute run time YU-YI runs the gamut of intense emotions from sadness and sorrow to hurt, and then anger, defiance, arrogance, even vituperativeness, and ultimately closure, all within the lone monologue of the main character, Leslie. Unfortunately, on seeing rather than feeling Leslie’s emotions, the result is and can be off-putting to viewers.
Making her directorial debut as well as writing and starring as Leslie in YU-YI, Leslie Susana Campbell tells the story about the demise of a friendship following Leslie’s coming out to her friend. Told essentially as what once would be a “Dear Diary” confessional entry, Leslie is recording herself on her phone with a message to her friend. Is this for the benefit of herself to ease her own conscience or pain? Or is Leslie talking to herself, conflicted about who she really is? Or will she send this to her friend and air her grievances?
Starting off with tears and sniffles and many nose wipes that speak to Leslie’s upset at what transpired, it doesn’t take long before her emotions start shifting, even to the point of becoming accusatory towards her friend who apparently has differing opinions than Leslie, something Leslie doesn’t like and something that she now seems to want to control. Unfortunately, we don’t have the benefit of seeing the incident or hearing the other side of the story. Listening to Leslie and watching her body language change reveals more about this friendship than what Leslie’s words even say.
As Leslie, Campbell delivers a performance that serves the monologue well. Interestingly, this feels completely unscripted and real with Campbell shooting from the hip with her words. At times there is almost a feeling of desperation in her voice; desperate to connect with someone, anyone, but on her terms. If anything is to be gleaned from YU-YI, it should be that if you can’t be your authentic self and openly communicate with those around you, although it may often be painful and difficult then you need to go find new friends. Acceptance is always difficult, no matter who you are.
While it feels unscripted, editing shows us that there is a script. Opening with a stroll around Leslie’s starkly lit bedroom before settling onto her bed with a head-shoulder close-up as she starts recording, working with editor Gregory Shark the film cuts back and forth going to black multiple times with Campbell’s voiceover that then carries through when we have picture again. It’s a curious, although perhaps metaphoric approach, as it prevents a real connection with Leslie. However, it does prove to feel disjointed and visually disconcerting.
Not to reveal any spoilers, but suffice to say that the final two minutes or so are beautifully shot by cinematographer Gray Ma who employs some perfectly placed ECU’s and then edited with some nice nuance by Shark. Seeing what Ma and Shark do with the final minutes of YU-YI makes me want to see more from them and what they can do when not just recording a head-to-shoulder talking and videoing on a smartphone.
YU-YI is a nice directorial calling card for Leslie Susana Campbell and this story finds me wanting to see it expanded so we get the whole story of Leslie and her friend.
Written and Directed by Leslie Susana Campbell
Cast: Leslie Susana Campbell
by debbie elias, 06/01/2023
