‘With Love And A Major Organ’ Review – High-Concept Drama Has Surprises In Spades

With Love and a Major Organ, in addition to having one of the most compelling titles on the face this year thus far, strikes an interesting balance between employing a high concept and delivering small-scale human drama. A lot of time is spent in what feels like a traditional dramatic story-scape, grinding teeth and spitting anger abound, until the film breaks that down and has someone literally rip their heart out of their chest. That isn’t an uncommon occurrence here; it happens all the time. If you can buy into the insanity of the premise, this genre mashup effort may really land with you.

The film posits an alternate world in which hearts are made of objects and suppressing emotions is a societal necessity. Despite how physically unreal this is, the situation and general uncaring overlay feel similar to the self-care systems and expectations in our world today. So often, people struggle to take care of their own mental health, failed by a system full of people who don’t have to worry about it. With Love and a Major Organ, in that way, it isn’t that unimaginable after all.

Within this wide web of eerie potential, we follow one woman who tears her heart out for the man she loves, though once he is in possession, he doesn’t exactly take a route you’d expect. It’d be a shame to spoil this movie, but the array of ideas is so beyond simple explanation that it’s difficult to avoid. There’s a clever underlay to the plot that serves as what is essentially the essence of the story, spinning fun metaphors that develop naturally from the main postulation and promising fascination without spoiling the details.

In a similar stroke though, the absolute best of With Love and a Major Organ is in momentary flashes of surprise. When someone first removes their own heart, or when the lighting sharpens and the film gets a little experimental, that’s when it’s at its peak. On one hand, it successfully introduces and executes a fresh concept at the forefront of the film, but on the other, the rather stripped elements of crisis suffer as a result. When the film is just a drama, the characters aren’t doing anything to draw you into their journeys as they exist alone. It really is only when you realize that they can walk around with their hearts in their hands that things become compelling.

They’re not bad characters by any stretch, but they are bland in comparison to the brash creativity that the synopsis supposes. What the film lacks in character writing it makes up for everywhere else, and the toned-down, indie-like visuals are special saviors when the pace slows down and the concept falls into the background.

The film looks drab in a manner that is cosmetically complex. There are layers upon layers of grays, blacks, and dark greens. The camera moves scarcely, only breaking stance to push a visual development of the story or deliver on a shot that was far too neat to be left out; it’s an exact visual exercise, one that makes up for dry stretches and lost bits of engagement.

With Love and a Major Organ is a majority success, due in large part to impressive artistry both within the frame and floating above it, in the minds that moved the whole thing in the first place. There’s a specific pull to this film that should endure as time marches on; one held in the, contrary to the story, irreplaceable heart of creative power. It may not work for everyone, but With Love and a Major Organ is easy to respect, and that alone may be enough to earn a first watch, at least.

With Love and a Major Organ is currently playing in select theaters in New York courtesy of Circle Collective. The film will expand to Los Angeles on April 5th, followed by a national expansion beginning April 12th. 

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