In reflecting on his heartbreaking situation in Of An Age, Kol, played by Elias Anton, describes himself as “lucky” - lucky, for having had the opportunity in this life to experience the feelings he’s had for Adam. The monologue is sweet and tender - a befitting summary of what we’ve learned about the nature of Kol and Adam’s relationship with each other. It’s a moment most people can understand and empathize with, even if Kol and Adam’s story doesn’t necessarily represent their own. And therein lies the magic of films made by writer and director Goran Stolevski. His stories capture the whims of life and fate through seemingly ordinary perspectives, and Of An Age capitalizes on this with incredible performances from the film's lead actors, an intimate filming style, and a heart rending narrative.

We enter Kol’s story in 1999 at a moment of crisis - his best friend and competitive dance partner Ebony (Hattie Hook) has called him from a payphone lost, disoriented, and hungover after awakening on a beach following a night of partying. She’s in need of her dance outfit and a ride mere hours before their last major competition, but with neither of them having access to a car, their only hope for help comes from Ebony’s brother, Adam (Thom Green), who arranges to pick up Adam so they can find Ebony. On the drive, Kol and Adam have time to talk and get to know each other, and there’s a connection between them that leads to a 24 hour period of the two entering and exiting each other’s orbit; a gravitational pull with effects that last for years to come.

Of An Age introduces us to Kol at a pivotal time in his life. On the verge of adulthood, he’s not yet come to terms with his sexuality as far as we can tell (despite what his slim fitting, deep v neck ballroom outfit might suggest), but he’s highly invested in competitive dancing. This final competition marks the end of an era for he and Ebony’s dancing partnership, and missing it exacts a devastating toll on Kol. That is, until the charm and allure of Adam captures his attention. Adam is smart, confident, and attractive. Forbidden fruit, you might say, not just because Adam’s interest in men or Kol isn’t immediately apparent nor because Kol is still in a phase of denial about his own sexuality. But also because Adam is, too, at a pivotal point in life - less than a day away from moving to Buenos Aires to pursue a doctorate at a time when long distance communication was far less accessible than we’re familiar with today. 

None of this, however, inhibits the two men from quickly growing closer in what can be best described as a rapturous blossoming of romance between them. In a two act story, Of An Age fixates on the sparks that set this passionate affection ablaze in the first act’s 24 hour period, then observes their fateful reconnection 11 years later in act two. Those sparks in the beginning are subtle, yet distinct in how Kol and Adam engage with each other. Their conversations are invigorating, never too forward but perpetually teetering on the boundary between platonic interest and romantic inquiry. Their eye contact, though, is indeed flirtatious, silently generating electricity between the two. And the way they focus on each other is enough to render others within their vicinity obsolete.

Elias Anton and Thom Green are magnetic in these sequences, fostering a chemistry that not only draws their characters together in an organic and satisfying way, but also drawing the audience in to their stories, making us more curious about who they are as individuals, what they’d be like as a couple, and exactly where this story is going to go under the circumstances we know they’re in. Through their engaging performances, there’s a kind of euphoria associated with how Kol and Adam connect and reconnect throughout the course of this story.

In many ways, Of An Age reflects similar themes and story formatting of this year’s Sundance darling, Past Lives by Celine Song (read review). The two films share the notion of intense passion between two people, the sense of longing they can feel for each other, and how they handle those emotions when reconnecting after much time has passed and circumstances have changed. The film Before Sunrise and Before Sunset may also come to mind when reviewing this premise - classic titles that Stolevski has mentioned as influences on the development of this story. But regardless of what framework it resembles, Of An Age is uniquely authentic in how Stolevski has written these characters and their relationship. It reflects Stolevski’s keen interest in conveying relationship drama in storytelling, doing so in an earnest and profound manner.

Though Stolevksi made a resounding feature directorial debut last year at Sundance with You Won’t Be Alone, Of An Age is the film that feels more like Stolevski’s debut. It’s a film that clearly has so much of himself baked into it: his Macedonian background is assigned to Adam’s ex’s heritage; the name “Goran” is teased in early conversations between Adam and Kol; and Adam is called out for his lack of social media presence - something a quick search on social media would affirm as a disinterest to Stolevski. And of the two features, Of An Age is the more approachable one as a conventional narrative film (though not so conventional as to be rote or cliched storytelling) as well as having that unadulterated look and feel of an indie film.

It’s with an intimate lens, both metaphorically and literally, that Stolevski presents Of An Age. Through the eyes of Kol, we get the metaphorical optics of seeing two people fall in love and the devastation that comes with life’s circumstances. But additionally, it’s with the physical lens that the state of their relationship is identified. Close, tight shots frame each of them as they tool around in Kol’s car, visually curating the sense of intimacy developing between the two. It’s a bright, more dream-like style of framing this chapter of the story. That lens however - again both metaphorically and literally - changes in act two when Kol and Adam’s circumstances have changed; the shots are more crisp, clear, and wider, for reasons that eventually become apparent.

All of this culminates into one of the most stunning romance stories we’ll see in theaters this year. In his sophomore outing, Stolevski may offer a vastly different type of film than he put forth at Sundance, but the hallmarks of his storytelling inclinations persist. Stolevski’s take on relationship drama remains compelling here in Of An Age, and I remain enthusiastic about his feature filmmaking career. While Kol considers himself lucky for having experienced the elation of being in love, we as the spectators of Stolevski’s work can count ourselves lucky that he continues to produce heartfelt films about the human condition and all the heartache and wonder that comes with it.

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