The garden is what shares the love and evolution of our characters, and thus, it is the playground for the eternal and the forever. The seed that is sown never dies.
In her directorial debut (along with writer/producer credits), Kit Rich attempts a delicate story revolving around loss and ambition, and whilst acceptable in its nature, it does take a prolonged route before it can spin the wheels into something cathartic. The story revolves around an aspiring young Maya (Karen David) wanting to become an anchor on television. Unfortunately, it gets torn away from her career path as her loving husband, Diego (Manuel Rafael Lozano), gets into a fatal car collision. After suspending her career with a viral tantrum and getting into a familial dispute with Diego’s ex-wife Christina (Valery Ortiz), she comes to spend time with reclused Grace (Jayne Taini) and uncovers an intriguing development in her past that may revive Maya’s future while allowing Maya to spend time working in “Isabel’s Garden” to bond with her 15-year-old stepdaughter Isabel (Gabriela Flores).
As mentioned, the heartwarming story takes nearly half the runtime before the beats start clicking. Contrived dialogue and mundane character development don’t assist matters, as most of the cast seems to think they were in rehearsals for a TV show or bribing for more screen time than standing in a motion picture. Isabel even mentions meekly at one point that Maya is “trying really hard to be accepted” based on her appearance.
With all that said, the second half becomes more flavorful and moving as Rich amplifies the tension and developments that push the film out of purgatory. David’s chemistry starts to kick off substantially with Flores’s gentle warmth and Taini’s potent presence, while the flashbacks with Lozano are used succinctly. Subtly, the garden becomes the evolution of all three characters’ growth as they are tied down by bliss and love.
Isabel’s Garden slowly but assuredly matures into a graceful story that knows that nature doesn’t rush and that everything comes to one’s needs in good time.
Releasing on VOD and Digital on January 3rd, 2025.
