top of page
Search
Writer's pictureKyle Bain

My Toy (2023)

Updated: Apr 2, 2023

Every single day children are taken from their families, families that are incapable of caring for them for various reasons. Sarah (Silja Ellemann Kiehe) and Salem (Abdulrahman chabiani) are just two of these children–but it’s time to consider whether or not their families are prepared to take them back. As the two children fight with one another, each claiming that a stuffed animal is “My Toy,” the truth about where they come from and where they’re going is exposed. The two children must make an important decision, and together they might just get what they need.


Viewers aren’t given much throughout the first half of My Toy, and they are sort of forced to come to their own conclusions throughout. The reality, however, is that My Toy doesn’t have multiple meanings; it’s not a film where each person can understand it differently and that be alright. That means that with the little information that viewers are given, Writer-Director Mazen Haj Kassem has to make sure that, while viewers are still creating their own opinions throughout, everyone arrives at the same place. That’s a tall task, ushering viewers in one specific direction without giving them too much guidance–but he accomplishes it nonetheless. My Toy is concise, allowing viewers to eventually draw the same conclusions and understand the purpose of the film.

With diversity playing such a prominent role in cinema these days, it’s a pretty good bet that it will be included in just about everything we watch. It’s present here in My Toy, but it’s included in a subtle and effective way. That’s all I have to say on that; Kassem does a wonderful job in this regard, and he likely will attract many viewers as a result.


Innocence transcends the entirety of My Toy, even in the moments of drama and heartbreak. Kiene and chabiani do a wonderful job of exuding innocence and creating a stellar juxtaposition in tone throughout. The majority of the film is incredibly tense, but woven into the fabric of the narrative are these two sophisticated young characters. Having them effectively guide the film, to be the center of attention, to be the vehicle by which emotion is presented to viewers was the best possible course of action for the film. These young actors are the best way for Kassem to ensure that viewers understand the importance of the film–but it’s also the best way to ensure that the film doesn’t become too overwhelming, and that there is a tonal balance present throughout. My Toy is most certainly balanced, and that comes as a result of the children and the positions that Kassem constantly puts them in throughout the course of the film.


I don’t think it’s possible not to like My Toy, as there are so many pieces that should (and likely will) appeal to viewers. The children alone are enough to appeal to viewers, enough to create emotion, drive forward the narrative, and effectively entice viewers throughout. My Toy may initially feel like a number of films that you’ve seen before, but the reality is that it shakes things up, and it finds new avenues down which to travel. My Toy is a beautiful, moving film that effectively gets its point across, that appropriately expresses all that it wants to. All in all, I’m impressed with what Kassem is able to create and the way in which he’s able to bring everything to life.


Written & Directed by Mazen Haj Kassem.


Starring Hassan El Sayed, Camilla Kold Krohn Gade, Silja Ellemann Kiehe, Rana Maoued, Mette Hansen, Abdulrahman chabiani, etc.


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10


0 comments

Related Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page