The 2022 dramedy Little Jar could have been titled “The Crazies.” It tells the tale of a misanthropic young lady; Ainsley, who shuns all types of human contact. Covid-19 comes along and enforces the antisocial woman into a new type of isolation.
Dominic López directs, and co-wrote with Kelsey Gunn, this comedic, at times disturbing, look at life during the initial panic of Covid.
The story
In Little Jar Ainsley goes out of her way to avoid everyone. Co-workers, her brother, her one neighbour and even her deliveryman. After an accident with her phone and the internet going down, Ainsley has to learn what it really means to be alone.
This unlikely scenario results in her finding a friend, Ulysses. A dead (Stuffed?) mouse that she finds in a little jar. They become besties.
Ironically, Covid-19 with its strict quarantine laws turns everyone into the crazies; the type of folks we would normally avoid. Before our heroine takes a deep dive into “Ainsley in Wonderland,” we see that she is living her dream.
The main cast
Kelsey Gunn is Ainsley.
Nicholas Anthony Reid is Marvin.
Jon Snow is Emrey.
Ulysses as himself.
behind the camera
López does quadruple duty here of director, co-writer, cinematographer and editor. He also takes on the mantle of producer for Little Jar. López manages to put everything together brilliantly, however. He makes this 90 minute film interesting and, despite the oddness of the characters, pretty touching. It is pretty darned funny as well.
it works
Little Jar is an award winning (Four in total.) offering that gives us a very intimate view of a misanthropic young woman who initially enjoys her enforced solitude. Gunn is a complete “tour de force” here. Her emotions run the scale and she slips from mime to solo artist effortlessly.
López, Gunn and Reid take us on an almost magical mystery tour with an enormous range of emotions. There is love, regret, pain, loss, betrayal, death and, ultimately, acceptance.
The other minimalistic cast members, labeled as such due to their very limited amount of screen and story time, also manage to bring something to the metaphorical table here.
Some minor issues
Little Jar does seem to be that tad serendipitous however. The very fact that both Marvin and Ainsley seem to suffer from some sort of mental issue in their dealing with other members of the human race, feels a tad suspect.
I also had a little bit of issue with the amount of imagination that Ainsley exhibits. (See still below.) However, overall, her world is just delightful enough to forgive these journeys of intense fantasy.
There is also a slight issue of the 90 minute run time. I did feel that this one could have benefitted from a shorter amount of screentime. Perhaps a “screen” novella, if you will.
*It does not help that the entire Covid-19 experience of enforced isolation already feels, as e.e. Cummings would say, Far and Wee. At the very least it all feels like some sepia toned representation of an awkward and frightening time. Something that happened just 5 years ago. *
The Verdict
Little Jar earns a full 5 stars. It entertained me. Not only that, but it made me a new fan of Gunn, López and Snow. *Kudos to Snow for knocking it out of the park with his limited amount of screentime. The “sight gag” on the couch was one of those “spewing moments” of comedy. The film can be streamed on Prime and Tubi, right now.
Little Jar feels like Disney and Hallmark had a baby. A delightful mishmash of a trip down imagination lane with side trips into abject fantasy. If you have not seen this one, check it out now. It is worth the trip.
the trailer
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