But it’s also so close, it begs for another chance. It’s enough to take the comedy off the boil. There is over-acting from some, awkward edits that interrupt the pace, and scenes that overstay their welcome. Cahill aims for it, but just doesn’t quite have the control. But whether full-length or snippet-sized, this kind of film requires an understated hand, a witty edit, and a strong sense of rhythm. The characters are interesting and their dynamics offer comic subtleties, even in their nine minutes of screen time. The good news is that it’s easy to see how this scenario of complicated relationships (including a lesbian love affair) that touch the modern Irish clergy and their kin would make for an engaging full-length feature. If there are a few awkward edits here and a tiny bit of Hollywood posing there, overall this is a small but quietly powerful and touching drama.Ī promising attempt at the cozy-Indie-comedy genre, Kev Cahill’s short, More Than God ( ), is wide of the mark only for trying too hard. With her quietly intelligent, searching eyes, Kirke makes Joey an open book - but only to us. An extraordinary presence - a woman who is not girly and yet is in no way an imitation of a man - she offers a near-miraculous third way of being. But the real star here is the magnetic Lola Kirke as Joey. Pastor Who Calls for Death Penalty for Gays Calls Pride Month an “Abomination”Īs Rayna, Breeda Wool offers a convincing blend of swagger and survivor, her hard shell and inconsistencies intriguing and authentic - even if she is just too healthy and gorgeous to convince. Shoval offers a particularly keen eye for the beautifully unforgiving northeastern landscape and the unmistakable signs and signals of soul-crushing poverty, all of which come and go like silent commentary.
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She offers a polished rhythm, pacing the drama at an engaging clip, knowing when to linger on a moment and how to build a subtle sense of foreboding. If some of this feels familiar, Shoval keeps it fresh and original by telling it wholly from the perspective of the two women - and doing so quietly and convincingly with understatement. But as the pressures and complications of life in a dying American town mount, they must find their own truths in love and life. Here, the young heart is Army recruit Joey, a quietly self-possessed but emotionally vulnerable young woman, falling hard for the older Rayna, a canny beauty who makes her home in a rusting double-wide. Rhuaridh MarrĮarly 2023 Grammy Predictions: Gayle, Latto & Tate McRae for Best New ArtistĪ beautifully shot Rust Belt love story, Deb Shoval’s AWOL delivers on a notoriously hard-to-keep promise: the tender coming-of-age story wrapped in a gritty reality. Retake is by no means a bad film - indeed, it has several strong moments - but it feels like a missed opportunity to craft something truly daring and different. There’s the chance for a more daring, less obvious and explanatory resolution, one more befitting of Retake‘s promising opening, but it instead resorts for saccharine redemption. What he fails to do, however, is end the film ten minutes early. It’s all the more disappointing that Retake‘s strong opening makes way for a slow slide into the sort of indie pap that LGBT cinema is overflowing with.Ĭorporon shows himself more than capable of containing his actors, controlling their scenes well, and making the most of the incredible vistas and tight interiors that comprise the various locales in the film. As Evan and Jonathan work their way into the desert and gradually grow closer, we’re asked to believe that at no point would Evan refuse the money and just go home - even as Jonathan throws out “I’m paying you, do what I want” with the frequency of a Kardashian social media post. Watkins maintains one steely expression for most of the film, but he can convey changes in Jonathan’s mood with the flick of an eyebrow, the slightest of smirks, or the dart of an eye - it’s a subtle, reserved performance that makes the most of what we presume was the simple direction “be mysterious and ambiguous!” Graye has the harder task, forced to play dumb long after the audience has guessed the film’s big reveal, but his Evan is likeable, energetic, magnetic (particularly after a much-needed and plot-dependant haircut).īoth men are working with a script that seems to think it is far more complex and mysterious than it actually is.
Thankfully, Watkins and Graye work well together, with the right amount of uncertain chemistry as they spend more time on the road. Editor’s Pick: Mary Gauthier at Jammin’ Java