In Sickness and In Health
Adrift in a sea of bedclothes and hypodermic needles, Marcus (Martin McCann) and Alice (Morven Christie), the lovers and addicts at the center of Rob Sorrenti's harrowing short film, Hollow (2010), cling to their bed, and to each other, like a life raft. In vain, the pair struggle to get clean, trapped in a perpetual cycle of drug withdrawal and relapse. Isolated in their dilapidated flat in London, Marcus and Alice shut themselves off from the world. However, they can't escape the predicament they find themselves in when Alice discovers she is pregnant. But are love and the news of a baby enough to put an end to years of drug abuse?
Remarkably focused and nuanced, Hollow delivers exterior shots of wind turbines and the London Eye perpetually turning against the night sky, suggesting the vicious cycle of drug abuse in which Alice and Marcus orbit. Yet, these evocative images also allude to the idea that life is constantly in flux—progress is still possible, no matter the speed or number of setbacks.
With renewed courage, Alice chooses the well being of her child and ultimately herself by undergoing an excruciating detox with Marcus. During this challenge, their bighearted neighbor, Angelo (the terrific Nonso Anozie), stands guard over them, preventing them from getting a quick fix from the drug dealer downstairs. Meanwhile, the fiery Hadyn Gwynn plays a child welfare officer who goes toe to toe with Alice only to melt when she sees firsthand the profound sacrifice Alice must make in the end.
Christie and McCann anchor the film, packing enough visceral power to convey a love affair at once both nurturing and destructive. Complementing one another, McCann lends the role a quiet intensity while Christie is equally vulnerable and volatile as a woman fiercely determined to break her addiction without fracturing her relationship.
Because of the controversial subject Hollow tackles, it might have veered into melodrama. However, with its understated and unflinching direction and compassion for its characters, the film stays on course, refusing to provide easy answers or pronounce judgment. It neither vilifies Marcus and Alice, nor places them on a pedestal. Ultimately, Alice confronts her all- consuming addiction while Marcus finds some peace of mind in a last redemptive act. In the end, both Alice and Marcus's futures remain unclear. But after Alice reaches out to connect with a stranger not so different from herself, she finds comfort in the realization that she no longer needs a life raft to stay afloat.
