I Am Easy to Find

Directed by: Mike Mills
Distributed by: The National Official YouTube Page

Written by Jeff Sparks

90/100

Named after a song by the band whose music acts as a score, “I Am Easy to Find” is a short film written and directed by Mike Mills that uses snippets from a woman’s life that encapsulate the human experience while utilizing several songs from the band The National. It stars Alicia Vikander as “Woman”, quick clips from this character’s life spanning several decades are shown, each portraying many feelings or experiences that people from all over the world can relate to in some manner. Growing up, aging, self-discovery, memories, unexpected emotions, birth, death, Mills shows it all in only twenty-six minutes in beautiful black and white cinematography that adds a layer of sincerity that may have been lost with color. 

These snippets of life show so many experiences that are relatable to anyone at different points in life, young or old. Parents arguing, struggling to connect, leaving home, falling in and out of love, having children, and much more are shown with little to no dialogue with only a handful of words spoken throughout. Instead, Mills relies on soft music, sprinkling in ambient noises from the scenes that act as fragments of the woman’s memories. By ripping out dialogue the scenes seem to contain only what is important. Even though as of writing this I’m not familiar with the music by The National, their music works very well with the delicate portrayal of the human experience that Mills has once again showcased here.

“I Am Easy to Find” Short Film

You can follow Jeff Sparks on Instagram, Letterboxd, and Twitter.

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