Ruth (Joan Shangold) is obsessed with her pet hamster, Tango, more so than anything else in her life. When he suddenly passes away, the truth about her marriage with her grumpy wife Connie (Marilyn Busch) rises to the surface. Goodbye Tango not only explores the harsh realities of losing a pet, but the struggles of dealing with a loveless, troublesome marriage as well. Tango was more than just a hamster, he was a way of life.
Comedy and drama is blended so well in Goodbye Tango, in such a powerful way that I’m not sure that anyone will be able to turn their nose up to it. The film opens to Ruth crying hysterically, and we are eventually taken back through the events leading up to the death of Tango. However, those opening few seconds are interesting, because they are cheesy, and they almost set a tone that is detrimental to the film. As viewers enter the film for the first time they are introduced to Ruth in a unique way–and it’s almost off putting. The reality is that Goodbye Tango dabbles in the ridiculous a bit throughout its course, and that’s okay–but to open the film in this fashion, I wasn’t thrilled about that.
However, Goodbye Tango quickly pivots, not abandoning what it had initially established, but adding to the emotional aspect of the film and giving viewers a reason to stick around. We get a ton of comedy from both Shangold and Busch–and I don’t think I’m reaching when I say that they are comedic geniuses. It’s not so much what they say; it’s not even necessarily how they say it–but rather their body language. They remind me of Chaplin who was able to captivate an audience just by moving his body or screwing up his face in a way that appealed to them. Both Shangold and Busch do something similar on numerous occasions throughout the course of Goodbye Tango. They are brilliant, and they carry this film from beginning to end.
Just when viewers start to believe that they will only get comedy, that emotion will only play a small role in the film–Goodbye Tango shifts yet again. At this point viewers are connected to the characters on screen, and they are able to appreciate them–even if they believe they will only get comedy from them. And now that we are invested, ready to follow them (particularly Ruth) to the ends of the earth, drama and passion rise to the surface. The film becomes tense, even if only for a second or two, and we get to see a new side to these characters, one that is just as beautiful as the ones we’ve already experienced.
This film is short and sweet, and while we constantly see a shift in tone–Writer-Director Jason Laurits never beats around the bush, ensuring that every second of the film has purpose. That purpose comes in the form of comedy and drama–but it’s also expressed using light, color, and sound. Sound is what stands out the most. Whether it’s the frustrating chewing of Connie, Tango’s squeaky wheel, or something else entirely–sound constantly makes its way into Goodbye Tango and plays a pivotal role in how viewers receive the film at any given moment. Laurits does such a wonderful job of establishing sound that sometimes we don’t even have to see the source, we simply know what it is and what it means. We’ve effectively been groomed, in the best possible way, to understand his use of sound.
Goodbye Tango, even though it’s a film about death and a struggling marriage, manages to be a ton of fun. It’s funny from almost the opening moments, and the talent of Shangold and Busch is what makes that possible, and the juxtapositional tones and the use of sound come together to create a brilliant film, something so incredibly moving in more ways than one. Goodbye Tango is beautiful, cheesy, dramatic, and heartfelt–everything it needs to be in order to find success.
Written & Directed by Jason Laurits.
Starring Joan Shangold, Marilyn Busch, Jeanette Bonner, & Louis Rocky Bacigalupo.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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