RELENTLESS is a character driven romantic drama inspired by
Francois Truffaut’s 1962 film ““Jules and Jim”
, and Ingmar
Bergman’s 1973 miniseries,
“Scenes from a Marriage”
.
Synopsis:
Greenwich Village New York City 1968.
”Give me excess of it” is the mantra of Joe Rose,
Shakespearean actor, biker graduate student, obsessed with
his love for Joy Brady, his girl friend an aspiring theater
critic, with a breath taking desire for Sinja, her LGBTQ free
spirited acting coach.
Joe a headliner at ”The Bottom of the Barrel” one of the most
popular underground cafes in Greenwich Village, offering some
of the best cannabis in town, performs Shakespeare
Soliloquies to a sold out crowd of Hippies, Beatniks,
Students and Jersey tourist.
Joy’s confusion of love and how to love, only offers a blank
response to Joe’s persistence Augmented by her attempt to
escape from Joe’s love into the arms of Sinja’s delight,
Joy’s dilemma comes to a head with an unexpected pregnancy.
Joy’s father, Tom Brady, a man of the cloth, insists on
covering God’s eyes and forces Joy to deliver her child in a
birthing home in Florida. Waitress Dolly, Joe’s reliable
consort and favorite past time, informs Joe that Joy is about
to bounce. Joe has to follow what he loves, wants and to turn
the tale from embarrassment to marriage.
Sinja devours Joy’s dreams and delivers a plan that will
release Joy from Joe’s reach. This escape from Joe’s grip
will take place in the midsts of Joe’s performance on stage.
Joe reaches out to his friend Karpak, his agent and manager.
Karpack knowing that Joe cannot back away from Joy’s
diversion will only deepen Joe’s desires with the intensity
of a performance. Joe hits on Viola, his bisexual stage
director and close friend of Sinja. Karpack reacts to Joe‘s
problem of this hidden tempest of a touch from a woman to a
woman, which is not to be fucked with.
Seeking the answer he wants to hear, Joe reaches out to his
friend Mickey Hillway, an Afro American Jazz tap dancer on
the down low . Mickey understands Joy’s reach for Sinja’s
love, while trapped with a looming decision of giving up her
child. Mickey fights with his own closet feelings, recent
draft notice, anti war protesters and his father’s
Distinguished Military Service Medal that weighs on his
decision to comply. Mickey makes his choice and dies in
Vietnam. Joe’s agony can do nothing but love Mickey.
2.
2.
Joe travels south to the birthing home only to find Sinja and
Joy in a state of acceptance as they experience the growing
feelings between them. Joe a father with no rights to his
unborn child reaches out to Dolly for help. Dolly hands Joe
an escape plan from his torment. Dolly connects Joe with her
friend and ex lover , Doctor Vidor, an experimental shrink,
that offers Joe treatment- Electric Shock Therapy coupled
with LSD. Joe accepts with one caveat that Karpack
accompanies him as his guide.
Joe’s overwhelmingly intense visual acid trip brings him face
to face with Joy’s offer of a forever love. Joe has an LSD
vision of Joy, his Pre-Pubescent child and Sinja in the
doorway of Joy’s brownstone basement apartment when love was
a simple moral code.
Joe struggles with his pursuit of Joy and finds a glaring
answer to Joy’s offer of forever love beneath the
brownstone steps of his LSD trip. Joe buys the deal and feels
connected once again.
Years pass and Joe and Dolly travel with a Shakespeare
Touring Theater. Sinja and Joy live as a couple in Greenwich
Village. Joy and Joe hook up with secrets and secret meetings
that keep “La petite mort” alive.