Sparring Partner

By: Kelly Kearney

In J.J. Kandel’s directorial debut film Sparring Partner he explores the what-ifs between two coworkers during their daily lunch breaks on a park bench ironically adorned with the Walt Whitman quote “We were together. I forgot the rest.” “Together” is a weighted word in this short because when the flirtations between the two work friends come to a head the realities of turning their unspoken chemistry into a full-fledged affair become too obvious to ignore. The nineteen minute short, which premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival, was written by Neil LaBute and stars the multifaceted talents of Cecily Strong (“Saturday Night Live”) and KeiLyn Durrel Jones as they struggle to make sense of whether or not this almost-affair is worth it. 

On an autumn day, in what looks like New York, a man (Durrel Jones) and woman (Strong) share a bench and some quality one-on-one time – anything to break up the monotony of their day. We never learn their names, just that it’s the man’s birthday and the woman has a card and a dance in the park with his name on it. However, their names are not important to the story. It’s what is building between them that needs addressing. Within the first moments of the short we can quickly surmise the power dynamics between these two. First, the man (who is obviously in a higher position at the office than Strong’s character) is exhausted from his responsibilities as a boss and as a husband. As for the woman, she seems like a giggly school girl with a dash of sass who probably spends most of their lunchtime getaways acting as the bossman’s sounding board and confidant. They talk about what most friends do: movies, music and their lives outside of the office. And while their chat stays platonic the chemistry between the two is anything but. There’s an element of fire, longingness and, more importantly, sadness weaved into every laugh and work marital complaint. They seem to be hanging on to their lost chances with a vice grip; unwilling to quit whatever this is but hesitant to give in to their desires. The pining for what could be is tangible and when ultimatums are on the table they can dance like lovers or walk away alone with their pride. 

The familiarity between these two is immediate – gradually unraveling like a spool of thread. We know Jones’ character is unhappily married and we know Strong’s character wants more from him. And what we can infer is that this relationship has been growing for a long time with the choice to end it or embrace it is finally on the table…or bench, so to speak. How long does one wait to leave their unhappy existences to embrace a bit of happiness? Forever or just until lunch is over? That’s the query these two are facing and it makes this rom-com feel a bit like a tragedy. 

In all of its playful banter and flirtations, it’s the cynicism surrounding infidelity that rings the loudest in this piece. The work-spouse relationship is relatable to most people who have close relationships in the office and LaBute’s script builds on those dynamics by asking the viewer to root for these two knowing affairs of this nature leave more wreckage in their wake than everlasting love. It’s a heartbreak wrapped in a smile and LaBute, along with director Kandel, takes us on a rollercoaster of emotions during the short run time. You’ll find yourself wanting the two to figure it out and be together. It is obvious they could be soulmates, but by the end you, like the woman, crave honesty to find its way onto their bench and give them the strength to see the truth behind their longing. In the best scene of the short the woman pushes her would-be lover into a scenario she makes up about a friend. This friend has a friend whom she works with and has feelings for but that person is in a relationship with someone else. What advice should she give her friend? Wait and hope the person leaves their current significant other or walks away before they waste more time waiting for something that won’t ever be? The response to the hypothetical situation that mimics their exact problem tempts, taunts and titillates the man until a reminder of his commitments calls and interrupts their moment. These lunches might be an oasis in his desert of daily despair but they also make it easier for him to dig his feet deep into the sand and not walk away. 

Cecily Strong, who is primarily known for her hilarious and outlandish characters on “Saturday Night Live” delivers a myriad of emotions as a woman who realizes she’s enabled her disappointment by hanging on to a lost cause. Likewise, KeiLyn Durrel Jones is charming and likable and it’s understandable why the woman in this film keeps hanging on to the hope that one day he will take her away from their bench and dance with her outside of the shadows of this lunchtime affair. The catch here is that the longer we sit with these two the more we realize hoping for them is also hoping for other lives to be destroyed. The man and his wife are trying to get pregnant and, as much as you feel sympathy for the woman, you can’t help but also feel it for the wife they’re lying to. For a twenty-minute short, without character names and the only location being that of a bench surrounded by autumn leaves, the story feels complete – nothing is left untethered. They were tied together in those years of lunch breaks because it enabled them to forget the rest of the world and remain insulated in their own selfish needs.  

Sparring Partner runs the full gamut of love and loss, hope and disappointment and, in the end, leaves you with the understanding that what-ifs are just that: dreams that deceive without a foundation laid reality. The short is a lesson in filmmaking; proof that all you need to deliver an emotionally diverse story is a well-written script, two superb talents and one bench. If you didn’t get a chance to catch this at Tribeca this year, keep your eye out for it on the film festival circuits because it is worth the watch – even if it leaves you wondering about your what-ifs in life.