Michael Carnick is a screenwriter and playwright who often develops stories that shine a light on minority struggles and disability awareness. Living with his own rare disability, Carnick wrote and produced the 2016 film Who’s Driving Doug, starring RJ Mitte (Breaking Bad, The Oak Room), which has been described as a semi-autobiographical story based on personal events. The Forbidden Wish, though, is Carnick’s first writing and directing effort on a narrative feature film, and in this production, humanity is at the forefront of a dramatic yet heartfelt conversation between two seemingly different dealing with similar internal conflicts.

In The Forbidden Wish (also called Obsidian Dolls), an Ethiopian born rabbi named Nate (Sammi Rotibi) has his evening of preparation for Yom Kippur interrupted by a young man, Isaac (John Berchtold) seeking his help. Isaac, convinced he is not fit to live anymore, requests the Mourner's Kaddish for himself - a request that Nate is staunchly opposed to. Over the course of the evening, stories are traded between the two, and tough conversations ensue. But as Isaac pleads his case for needing the Mourner’s Kaddish, it becomes clear both individuals are haunted by devastating traumas that they each struggle to confront.

It’s an emotionally demanding game of tug-of-war between the two troubled characters, each standing on opposing fields of perspective; their words and stories are the rope, and faith is the marker that both fields align on and the increasingly taut rope hovers over. As Isaac argues why he’s unsuited to live, Nate responds with proverbs, ideology, and his own stories to demonstrate the role faith plays in how he should proceed.

But the conversation extends beyond life and death. In the process of telling these stories, Isaac also addresses contradictions between faith and humanity. These are moments when Carnick is able to write in frustrating observations with faith - oftentimes in ways that can be uncomfortable. I grew up with ministers and pastors in church, and I shudder at the thought of talking about same-sex attraction, let along using vocabulary like “boner” around my minister during a conversation as sensitive as coming out. But The Forbidden Wish boldly goes there, challenging traditions, age-old status quos, and communication styles in a spiritual setting, pushing these characters - and in turn, much of the audience - outside of their comfort zones.

Sammi Rotibi and John Berchtold are an ideal duo for this story exchanging conversation. Rotibi, known for his role in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and also appearing in The Forever Purge later this year, sells Nate’s conviction and dedication to faith with an impassioned performance that emotionally ebbs and flows with the transition from topic to topic. Meanwhile, Berchtold proves to shine in these dialogue-driven productions. His role in the film A Hard Problem, which recently had its world premiere at Cinequest 2021, is another example of how extended one-on-one conversations are right in his wheelhouse, and it’s clear he makes the most of that dynamic here in The Forbidden Wish as well.

With Carnick’s background in playwriting, it seems that The Forbidden Wish was penned as a play first then adapted for the screen. The dialogue is punchy and melodrama is laid on thick, especially towards the end of the film - all evidence of Carnick’s playwriting skill at work.  So rather than watching the film as a spectator in front of my home theater, I often imagined myself experiencing this production seated in a crowd eight or nine rows back from a stage.

It is possible that The Forbidden Wish might’ve been served better in that capacity. But navigating this evening with Nate and Isaac is invigorating nonetheless. Carnick’s goals in storytelling are on full display here, and it’s easy to become invested in the characters he’s crafted and their backgrounds. What is achieved in The Forbidden Wish feels genuine and authentic and demonstrates the great potential Carnick has in character development and filmmaking.

Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 1 | Story and Message - 2 | Entertainment Value - 1 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 0 | Reviewer's Preference - 1 | What does this mean?

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