Review: With Love and a Major Organ (SXSW 2024)

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Title: With Love and a Major Organ
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Kim Albright
Starring: Anna Maguire, Hamza Haq, Donna Benedicto
Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins

What It Is: In an alternate world peoples heart can be made of everyday items it appears that supression is self-care. When the lonely Anabel (Maguire) rips her heart out to give to George (Haq), a man she is in love with, we see the effects of such a violent bit of sacrifice. When George takes the heart and runs away with it it leaves Anabel and he in a completely different place emotionally. One they never would’ve seen themselves in.

What We Think: This is a film I simply adored. One sure to become a cult classic. There’s plenty to be said about how weird and oddball the narrative of Julia Lederer’s script is. This is a script that in less creative hands would’ve been too obtuse and odd. Thankfully Kim Albright is JUST the woman for the job. This is a HELL of a debut feature from Albright. Anna Maguire is so charming and perfectly quirky enough to work as the lead here. There’s something perfectly awkward about the entire affair and it otherwise works exactly as it should.

Our Grade: A-, If you aren’t familiar with the 2000’s cult classic Wristcutters: A Love Story this film is a perfect pairing with it. In this recommended film those who have committed the ultimate act of self-harm aree lost in a limbo. In this limbo no one can smile and everyone is an asshole. Here showing emotions out in public is frowned upon and the world is run by an app. People go to emotion centers to decompress themselves. I loved this film. It mixed elements from several films I found as easy comparisons. That said it’ll probably be a while before this hits a theater near you. When it does you should absolutely check it out. To be clear I cannot wait to see more from Kim Albright as a director. But you, you all should certainly check out the fantastical, romantic and frankly beautiful piece.

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