Name: Jumping from High Places
Director: Andrea Jublin
Released: 2022-10-05T12:30:00

Jumping from High Places is an Italian film about Sole, a young girl with severe anxiety who decides to make a list of her fears and overcome them in memory of her recently deceased best friend. The film is now streaming on Netflix.

Story

Sole is a 25-year-old girl who suffers from severe anxiety, which makes it difficult to even pick out an ice cream flavour without rethinking her decision several times over.

Her condition is compounded by the fact that her best friend, Emma, the person who knew her best, passed away 2 years ago and the last time they spoke they had an argument.

Sole has been doing well since then but when she gets a letter that Emma had written for her before she passed away. The letter asks Sole to make a list of her fears so that she and Emma can tackle them together and keep their friendship strong.

Now Sole decides to take on the list with some help from friends and convince herself that she can overcome anything in life.

Performances

Federica Torchetti is wonderful and charming as Sole, the relatable character who has to face obstacles every day in her life. Torchetti encapsulates the feelings of anxiety and her moments of joy are pleasing to watch.

The rest of the cast only have minor roles to provide a different perspective or a sounding board for Torchetti to bounce off of. They mesh well but don’t have enough of an impact to be considered anything more than good.

Positives

The cinematography is magnificent in the film. The beauty of this Italian town shines brightly on-screen and even acts as an unintended tourism advertisement.

The depiction of anxiety is spot-on in certain moments, such as when Sole tries to draw something and immediately imagines everyone making fun of it. It’s an issue that most people go through and this film shows an acute understanding of it.

The soundtrack of the film is playful and fun and fits the overall lighthearted tone that it is trying to put across. The comedy is helped by the score and the predominantly pop music that accompanies the film is peppy and cheerful.

Negatives

The over-reliance on Sole breaking the fourth wall to talk to the audience does feel jarring at times. There are intimate moments interrupted so that Sole can talk about it which robs the scene of its intended emotional impact.

While the depiction of the anxiety feels appropriate, the way she goes through her list doesn’t feel like the uphill battle she makes it out to be. She completes multiple items in a montage and only shows true hesitation a few times throughout.

Even the subplot of Miriam dealing with Alopecia feels sudden and out of place as it barely registers in the film.

Verdict

Jumping from High Places is a delightful film perfect for casual viewing with mild humour and a well-meaning narrative but it cannot be considered a pioneer in its genre as it suffers from some lazy decisions when it comes to the overall execution.