“The Elephant in the Room” follows a lonely progressive who meets someone she might want to date, only to discover that he has voted for Trump twice.
What “The Elephant in the Room” does so well is make the opening almost entirely void of politics. There is brief dialogue about the election. And sure, there is talk about the COVID-19 pandemic, but that’s only because of the specific time period in which it takes place. It isn’t until about 15 minutes in that politics become the primary focus. In a movie about political tension, this is a brilliant choice by writer-director Erik Kork. By doing so, it gives the audience time to get to know the lead characters (Leah and Vincent) before their initial perceptions of each other come crashing down.
Once the topic is fully brought up, the sheer awkwardness that arises is palpable. This effectiveness goes back to how Kork lays out the story. As with any new relationship, initial conversations cover the basics. After highlighting their immediate chemistry, the new information ends up feeling like an entire revelation. Considering the current political climate, most viewers themselves have probably endured similar situations. It’s an authentic look at the modern divide that plagues America — except here, there may just be a little hope.
“The Elephant in the Room” inserts comedy to relieve some of the stress that its basic premise promises. Having different beliefs doesn’t always mean “doom and gloom.” As the movie shows, it can actually result in humorous situations when mutual respect is present.
“I assume she’s female and attractive or you’d tell her to f–k off.”
This lightheartedness amidst polarization remains grounded in realism thanks to the performances of Alyssa Limperis (Leah) and Sean Kleier (Vincent). Limperis presents a bundle of energy, with snappy dialogue and an overall charismatic presence. Kleier is more mild-mannered, still bringing confidence and kindness to the screen. Despite their characters’ differing beliefs, they both remain likable. Don’t forget about Dominic Burgess (Martin), either. Playing a quieter, slow-speaking character, he has perfect comedic timing when acting as a mediator between Limperis and Kleier..
Even with an easygoing tone, “The Elephant in the Room” does tackle heavy themes, including political extremism, ideological sorting and echo chambers. In the real world, just the basic words “Democrat” or “Republican” can trigger reactions in people. The film attempts to show that there is oftentimes more common ground than meets the eye. Through this, viewers are able to see what is possible when you step outside of an information silo.
Within these notions are stress and anxiety. As the couple navigates the differences, arguments about Donald Trump and the ideas he propagates arise. Not to mention other key issues like the working class, immigration and more.
The core concept of “The Elephant in the Room” creates a challenge — viewers typically seek out movies to escape the problems of the real world. Well, let me break it to you… there’s no compartmentalizing here. There is a key difference between this and other political films, however. While Leah, the “liberal,” garners more of the focus than Vincent, the “conservative,” the film provides common ground for members of both parties.
By being “for everyone,” it skips past the most divisive issues. If you take this scenario into reality, it could go in thousands of different directions. The one displayed in “The Elephant in the Room” is probably the safest.
On a technical level, the film isn’t trying to be flashy. Director of photography Cole Pisano largely keeps the camera still, maintaining focus on the conversations at hand. Despite taking place mostly inside one house, the visuals remain vibrant thanks to the capture of sunlight and different lighting sources. The costume design plays a role in this as well, with Leah’s ever-changing colorful array of outfits. Bryan Colvin’s editing is just as simplistic. The 91-minute runtime largely flows by, outside of the occasional scene dragging on a bit too long.
“The Elephant in the Room” tackles political discord from an unbiased perspective. It’s not going to change the world, but it does encourage compromise from both sides of the aisle.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
