Conception (2022) review
Infertility is one of those dirty little secrets no one wants to talk about. The emotional turmoil that comes with struggling to have a family doesn’t make for the most uplifting and encouraging movies.
And in fairness, Conception is not a smiley, feel-good movie. It’s a rough, emotionally tough watch for viewers. This is the kind of subject matter most audiences won’t see out, but for the 48.5 million couples worldwide that experience it, Conception is a thoughtful film stating they’re not alone.
Director/Writer Tarun Verma based the film from his experience as a fertility pharmacist. As such, Verma doesn’t overdramatize fertility struggles while approaching it from a gentle and compassionate perspective.
Ami (Simren Lalani) and Vic (Kareem Ghuneim) have a quick and immediate spark on their first date. The courtship and subsequent wedding doesn’t matter as Verma jumps two years. Now settled into a bit of a routine, Ami and Vic are starting to consider expanding their family.
Real and fictional life (TV, movies) makes this decision seem like an immediate cause and effect equation. For Ami and Vic, the thrill of scheduling their intimacy and the thought that this could be the time slowly starts to fade into a routine and passionless chore.
Eventually, this starts to create some strain on the marriage. Vic is the down for anything, agreeable spouse while Ami is the decisive planner who sees a goal and accomplishes it.
Curiously, Verma opts not to focus on a major stressor for aspiring parents — their parents. This means there’s no constant check-ins or reminders that they’re not getting any younger and want to be grandparents. Verma also downplays the impact of friends who start/have their own families.
That’s covered to some extent with one couple (Anjel Goldmine and Gabriel Regojo), but it’s not quite the full onslaught of their circle of friends all gradually becoming parents. Verma also avoids the constant societal barrage of family imagery or Ami and Vic seeing couples with their children everywhere they turn. Verma leaves the helpful pharmacist role to Mai Le, but he does have a small supporting role as Ami’s co-worker.
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With natural measures proving unsuccessful, Ami opts for fertility assistance including very expensive medication and treatments.
It’s simple for Ami — “Without children we’re not a family. We’re just two people living in a house. I’m meant to be a mom.” Vic isn’t as focused on the method they have a family bringing up adoption and surrogacy as possible avenues.
This is key as it illustrates the growing divide between the couple. Vic struggles with being supportive in the face of a seemingly bleak situation while Ami won’t lose sight of her destiny to become a mother. Verma doesn’t pick a side though Vic’s perspective seems to be more understandable.
There are some technical issues that constantly pop up. Day and night are interchangeable in some scenes like characters leaving work for the day and it’s still bright and sunny. Night timed scenes also play out in the day. Sets are sparse and at least in one scene it seems like the extras aren’t clear they’re being filmed.
This doesn’t matter as the weight of the film lies in the performances of Lalani and Ghuneim, who are good throughout, but are especially strong in the final act.
I’m still torn on the ending. Verma doesn’t make it too pat and it’s probably more realistic than the predictable route although I was rooting for a different outcome.
Conception won’t deliver for all audiences seeking a feel-good story, but for those in a similar situation, the film will finally help them feel like they’re heard and understood.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Photo Credit: Gravitas Ventures