Approximately 7 years after the events in Upstate Story: Even if Ellis (Shaun Rose) has a new job as a freelance videographer - doing anything from documentary to porn - and has finally moved into his own home, his life is still a drab affair. And that he has gained a lot of weight over the years hasn't helped things, to a degree that despite being only in his 30s he has some serious health issues. Then he gets an assignment to do some location scouting in the town he has grown up in, Saratoga, a job that's very easy to fulfill as he knows the area - however that kind of homecoming is bittersweet at best, as the place has changed quite a bit, friends from back in the day have long moved away or, in one case, died even, and Ellis just doesn't feel at home anymore. This trip makes Ellis determined to change his own life for the better - but that of course is easier said than done ...

In writing, Toga sounds like a mighty depressing film for sure, and in a way it is - and yet filmmaker Shaun Rose manages to turn his rather pessimistic story into a pretty entertaining whole, as he manages to give a laconic spin to the proceedings, mostly in his voice over narration that carries most of the movie, and at times also in his imagery, so even if the film's protagonist seems to drown in self pity the film sure isn't, and even if the film seems like nothing but a sequence of slice-of-life moment, they're carefully put together to serve story rather than just their own purpose, making this an against all odds rather enjoyable movie.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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