Crafting The Only Son with Xin Sui
Film is more than entertainment. It is the doorway to understanding others. A new film from Director/Writer Piotr Matyja titled The Only Son presents a very topical American issue from a personal perspective; namely, the plight of the modern-day immigrant. Matyja and editor Xin Sui (whose commercial work for FIAT won the Telly Award and Berlin was as a Commercial Raw Selection 2024) share direct insight into this scenario and project it onto the screen with profound emotional impact in this story about a subject so prevalent in the current news cycle. Deeply layered, this story is about much more than what it feels like to be an immigrant; it’s about how traditional values collide with modern ones in a country which is always redefining itself while persevering to maintain its character. This concept could apply to any period in the history of the United States but each has its own version of it and this is presented in The Only Son with honesty and relevance. With cinematography by Sika Stanton (known for her work on the Nicholas Cage film Pig, nominated for seventy-four awards including a Critic’s Choice Award) and starring Wojciech Fry Lewis (of the Oscar Nominated Film Salt starring Angelina Jolie) as Jack Sadowski with Owen Morgan as Charlie Sadowski, The Only Son boasts some incredible talent for a truly touching experience.
Many families deal with crisis. For Jack and Owen Sadowski, the twin catalyst of theirs is the loss of Helena Sadowski, the woman who was wife and mother in their family unit. Jack left the security of his native Poland and his son Charlie is immersed in the turbulent teen years of high school. When Charlie is caught doing drugs on school grounds, Jack is called in and forced to face the fact that the most important person in his world is on the precipice of a negative life trajectory. The decisions Jack makes concerning how to handle this situation will resonate for years, possible for the entirety of Charlie’s life. The Only Son is the convergence of different generations, different cultures, and different ways of handling grief. Perhaps most importantly, it asks us to consider how we feel love is best expressed in stressful situations even when it may appear contradictory. This film is a social quandary that is layered and complex. While society is often so full of criticisms concerning parenting, The Only Son pokes the audience towards introspection.
The only proper way to communicate the feelings of the two men central to this story is to transfer their emotional states to the audience. Editor Xin Sui delivers a masterclass in this technique with her work on this film. As father and son share breakfast in one scene, the Polish decorations of their home in LA are as out of place as the communication between the two of them. The awkwardness established through the editing choices here permeates the entirety of the film. That tone is elevated to immense tension when the two are called in for a meeting at the principal’s office and Jack is confronted with Charlie’s drug use. Xin has chosen here to linger uncomfortably long on close-ups of their faces to transfer a sense of claustrophobic pressure that looms over the conversation. The emotional release for all of this occurs during a bathroom drug test scene where father and son begin to understand what lengths they will go to protect each other. Throughout the entire film, Xin’s editing balances this oppressive sorrow and pressure with a unifying thread of understated caring. These men are worse off for the absence of the feminine influence in their lives, yet they still feel her influence and how it connects them.
Every professional who works on a film must find something about the story to connect with; this empowers them to create at the highest level. The Only Son’s editor Xin Sui confirms, “The story talks about sacrifice and duty, which examines how the protagonist balances personal desires with familial responsibilities and the sacrifices made for the sake of family honor and duty. My work as an editor requires me to work with the director, composer, and others while making hard choices that serve our group in the best way. There’s something to this scenario that correlates to the premise of The Only Son and how we make sacrifices to serve what’s ultimately the most important.” The Only Son is an official selection of the San Diego International Film Festival, Catalina Film Festival, Healdsburg International Film Festival, Marina Del Rey Film Festival, and Adelaide Independent Film Festival (Australia).