The short film “Summer with Mrs. Von Mausch” is a bit of a double entendre. The film, written and directed by David Pomes, is about a 13-year-old girl named Summer who spends the summer with her father in Manhattan. The former is smitten with the eccentricity and kindness of their neighbor, Mrs. Von Mausch; the latter is a workaholic type who won’t let his daughter leave their loft for fear of the city for such a young girl. He calls Von Mausch ‘crazy,’ ‘mentally ill,’ and a nuisance. She can afford pearls, beautiful paintings, and clothes; and, of course, a penthouse on 5th Avenue that must cost millions, though she spends her days listening to loud opera music, taking pills, and crying. Music connects us to who we are, and “Summer with Mrs. Von Mausch” highlights the importance of empathy and acceptance, and succeeds mostly in its endeavors.
This is a good short. It has themes that are relevant in our society, especially during May, which is mental health awareness month. It also makes not-so-subtle references to parenting, and how the lack thereof can cause damage. Summer’s father Paul Getty (Writer/Director Pomes) could take a clue from this. He does nothing but work, sequestering his daughter in their loft for the summer due to the ‘danger’ of venturing out into New York City.
Summer’s (Molly Learner) parents are divorced, and she soon bonds with the eccentric Von Mausch. But it starts in a simple way, in a shot that is among the best I’ve seen in short cinema. Mrs. Von Mausch sees Summer’s bright orange toenail polish and asks to borrow it. She returns a set of pearls for compensation. Kindness is a theme that flows through “Mrs. Von Mausch.” Is there a higher calling? But Pomes’ film also asks a bigger question: are mentally ill people a ‘nuisance’ to be institutionalized, or people to be valued and understood like everyone else?
The acting is mostly well done. Learner, as Summer, is bright, inquisitive, and, well, a pre-teenager. She has a vibrancy of life; and, brilliantly, an acceptance of the eccentric Mrs. Von Mausch that is sublime and inspiring. Scenes where she sits in her suite, bored, are believable for a girl her age. But subsequent ones, where she listens and bonds with her quirky neighbor are the meat of the movie. She accepts Von Mausch completely, and the film says much about how impressionable youth are and need parental guidance to encourage their best aspects.
Annnie McGreevy, who plays Von Mausch, is brilliant, bringing her eccentricities to life, but also, on a deeper level, her pain. She’s also quite funny. A scene where Summer must return the pearls at her father’s behest—and the following reaction from Von Mausch—is high comedy, and some of the funniest banter I’ve seen in an indie. Summer learns through their interactions that while Von Mausch is odd, she’s kind, witty, and has a history to tell. Don’t we all deserve to be listened to? It cuts both ways; both Summer and Von Mausch find understanding and encouragement in each other, one of the finer points of the movie.
Acting-wise, Writer/Director Pomes is fine…but I wondered at his decision to write his character so incredibly thin, and why the film ends suddenly, quickly, and without great catharsis. Mr. Getty comes across as a typical urbanite who has no time for his family (think James Caan in the wonderful “Elf”), and he is quick to write of Von Mausch. But there’s no arc for his character, which I felt damaged the movie slightly. His daughter needs someone to listen to her, to help her experience life. But Mr. Getty is so one-note and typical it caused me to wonder what the ultimate message of the film was. Its accidental findings (specifically its call for kindness to the mentally ill) are sterling. However, I wish it had dug a little deeper to have Getty come around and understand the same, which was sorely missing.
But all-in-all, “Summer with Mrs. Von Mausch” is a pleasing indie short with good production value, is highly watchable, and comes away with good messages. It’s 14-minute run-time is a good length, and leaves audiences with questions after the credits roll—a hallmark of good films. While the film was released in 2011, it recently had its Internet wide-release. The film is now available to view worldwide via Vimeo, which you can watch here. The film is a definite recommend, and we look forward to seeing more from Pomes and company in the future.
You can watch the trailer for the film below:
