Finding The Beach House on Morro Road
The Beach House on Morro Road is simple-complex film. That is to say that the constantly readjusting timeline is simple to follow as is the two sole characters in this story. The setting of a bedroom conversation is basic but intricacies of a romantic relationship and what it takes to make it last are incredibly intricate and tangential. This exploration of romance between a man and a woman incorporates a “Groundhog Day” element with reality, yet is infused with all of the joys and pains of human existence. It’s a tall order that is exceeded by the cast and crew, led by director/writer Barry Galperin and producer Joachim Gautier. This duo has created a film which is both massive and intimate. Peter Lindstedt (of Action/Horror/Thriller film Corbin Nash starring alongside Rutger Hauer, Malcolm McDowell) and Holly Curran (of Amazon Prime’s Golden Globe, Primetime Emmy award winning series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and NBC’s Golden Globe nominated series The Blacklist) have an ease and comfort on the screen that immediately sets a tone of comfortability for the audience; one which constantly evolves as their union degrades.
With only two cast members in the film, the responsibility and demands upon the actors is profound. Both in terms of ability and chemistry, the couple needed to be perfectly cast. Galperin confirms that Gautier’s acquisition of the lead actress saved the day for The Beach House on Morro Road. While the male lead role (Zach) was cast early on, numerous auditions for the female lead (Lilly) didn’t provide the perfect fit. Joachim relentlessly pursued Curran via her manager in a belief that she was ideally suited for the role. Once she received the script, the actress was so taken with it that she agreed to do the film for union scale; a resounding confirmation of her belief in the story. The film’s producer remarks, “We had no connection to Holly but I’d seen her work on these award winning shows and had an intuitive sense that she would be great in our film. I also felt she’d appreciate the challenge of this role as an artist. Lilly needed to be good enough to be this other half, to translate all these emotions in this little amount of time and setting, only one location, one bedroom, one bed. She had to be able to counterbalance Zach’s behavior and mind state with both a bigger than life personality, in order to show from the start why he was so in love with her, while being down to earth, in order to react properly to Zach’s surreal and unexpected revelation half way through the film. On top of all this, the chemistry with Peter was essential. We found our Lilly in Holly Curran.”
While there is certainly a place for grandiose superhero films and the escapism they provide, The Beach House on Morro Road is the antithesis of that genre. While there are fantasy elements, this is a deeply emotional story about a situation that nearly everyone on the planet deals with. This bittersweet story is about two young people who are in love. The inverse of many tales of romance, the story begins as a Rom-Com and ends as a drama. The core of this tale is that we often find ourselves unable to control the factors that steer our destiny, particularly in matters of the heart. Even with care and good intentions, some unions don’t last. In viewing The Beach House on Morro Road you’ll likely recognize yourself in one of the two characters…and possibly gain some empathy for a long lost love.
