Film: Sun Don't Shine
Director: Amy Seimetz
Country: USA
From the introduction we were given, director Amy Seimetz seems
keen that the audience doesn't know too much about the plot before
viewing the movie, so I am going to keep to that but hopefully still
give a sense of what was a truly involving film. It was great to have a
fascinating Q&A with the director afterwards, to hear what Seimitz
was trying to achieve and her thinking behind her choices.
The
movie starts in the middle of an argument, and from that point on we
are shown a complicated relationship that is portrayed in vivid and
believable detail but always ambiguous and left to be interpreted to the
viewer's perspective and prejudices. Seimetz is playing with our notions
of victimhood, loyalty, manipulation and passion as the relationship is
put under a huge strain. It is fascinating. It really stays
with you as you process it emotionally afterwards.
She
explores this by crafting a melodrama and thriller, albeit one at a
somewhat different pace and with a hell of a lot more naturalism and
character focus to your average Hollywood one. However, this makes us
more involved in the characters (even if we aren't wholly sympathetic to
them) making the tension all the greater. The film does focus a great
deal on the intimate conversations and interaction of the central two
characters, but it is strange to hear that the film has been given the
'mumblecore' tag, when the subject matter and drama to the film sets it
far away from films that are more set in the quieter details of life!
The
use of melodrama is particularly effective as it forces the two leads
into emotionally heightened performances. Both Kate Lyn Sheil and
Kentucker Audley are excellent and totally convincing. Sheil's performance in
particular is so nuanced yet runs the full range of emotions and is
utterly gripping. What this means is that although the characters are
apparently in their twenties or older, they have a sort of teenage
emotional intensity and irrationality that really works for the film.
The creation of the characters recognises that real characters are
messy and confused and unpredictable, rather than a collection of
stereotypes or archetypes. Seimetz said in her Q&A that she really
wanted to create a true and interesting female character in Crystal, not
just a strong heroine or someone fitting expected female tropes. She
and Sheil certainly succeeded with that. Crystal is not necessarily
likeable but she feels like a real person and provides an incredible
core to the film.
By mixing the thriller genre
with her instinctive, personal and character driven style, Seimetz is
giving us a really fresh perspective on a narrative theme that has been
done in many films. She has focussed on the part that often only
detains the plot for a few minutes but in reality could be all
consuming. The emotional car crash, let alone the practicalities, of
dealing with unexpected and traumatic events is usually glossed over in
thrillers or dealt with in more traditional drama formats. It takes a
lot of skill to mix the drama and thriller elements effectively, but I
think it is pulled off particularly well. Whereas there is often a set
way for film characters to react to misfortune or tragedy, the real
world brings a myriad of reactions, and these characters react
unpredictably throughout, unpredictable even to themselves. By using
different techniques to tell the story, such as the recalled
conversations over the scenes on the road, we can never quite settle and
relax, adding to the feeling of tension and unease.
This
is really confident and individual film making, articulated with a
strong, and fascinating voice and I would highly recommend seeking it
out if you can.
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