First off, I should note that I saw this at the Sidewalk Film Festival and had absolutely no other knowledge about the film outside of the festival program's synopsis. I went into this film practically blind, which is a risk anyone can run into at a film festival, and you never know what the end result may be. Granted, you take that kind of risk with virtually any film you go to see at a movie theater, yet it's a risk we find ourselves willing to repeat as the chance for discovering something profoundly exciting. Within the first few minutes, you can begin to feel tension and adrenaline being pumped in, and never-ending motion sets in. Lauren Hadaway's feature directorial debut shreds its way through dark waters with an admirable force and emotional gravitas that leaves you in utter shock.
Self-destructive determination and toxic repetition are themes we've seen before, but it's up to the individual filmmakers to make their depictions unique and creatively distinguishable. We've seen one such demonstration before in Damien Chazelle's Whiplash (2014), which he tackled with rigorous precision; however, Lauren Hadaway takes all of the determination and obsession to deeper and darker waters. Considering this dark approach coupled with a young lead, it would be fair to say that some could find this relatable to a fine degree; however, it could be said that the entire situation may be too exaggerated, whether that's counting on people being honest with themselves. Nevertheless, the dark waters of mental health play a major factor in the development of Isabelle Fuhrman's character, Alex, as we see a gradual progression from eager freshman wanting to simply be a part of the team to tragically diving head first towards ego-driven harm as the sport becomes more than just simple athletic passions. In this day and age, films effectively convey the struggles of mental health in ways that not only make the situation intriguing as an outsider looking in but also give this theme's real-world application a sense of urgency. Hadaway's direction exceptionally handles the story with gravitas and grit that showcases her emerging craft after working for so long in the realm of sound. I'll remind people again that this is her feature directorial debut, and she knocks it out of the park, which makes me eager to see what project she tackles next.
In both the acting and technical components of the film, Hadaway, Fuhrman, and company come together to bring out the most evocative ways possible! Having both the director and cinematographer make their feature debuts together, both bring their A-games when displaying creative craft, which is notably seen in the cinematography and sound design. Director of Photography Todd Martin, in his feature film debut, approaches the story with cool and shadowy contrasting visuals that complement the strenuous psychological state-of-mind Fuhrman's Alex experiences throughout the film. These cooler tones create a consistent presence of intensity and dread, whether our characters find themselves working out in the gym, on general campus grounds, or right on the water during rowing drills. Prior to Hadaway's directing, she has predominantly been a sound editor, having worked with the likes of Zack Snyder & Quentin Tarantino, so she has a keen ear and set of methods to bring to the film's sound team in order to evoke the right eerie sounds you would expect from dark places. What you hear allows us as the audience to feel the imaginative surreal landscape of a girl's spirit on the verge of breaking to the very real world sounds of her environment constantly ringing in your ear. With all this being said, now it's time to mention the central component of this film: Isabelle Fuhrman's tour de force performance, which embodies an individual's determination to achieve what she wants no matter the consequences. As mentioned earlier, Fuhrman's character 'Alex' steadily transitions through varying degrees of ambition as it leads her in a downward spiral. It's her progress in this story that is both fascinating and tragic to see unfold, which spills on over to her relationships with supporting characters. It's very much a thrilling observation of Alex's response to the world around her and the expectations, however regrettable or fitting, she will have to confront in order to stay afloat. Isabelle Fuhrman brings all these seemingly difficult qualities to life in outstanding fashion.
As we reach the end, we are left to ponder the choices and actions in the story Hadaway has laid before us. Not only was this a thrilling drama about human ambition, but it was also a surprising demonstration of indie filmmaking from some that have been on major studio productions, carrying over those experiences into an impressive debut feature. Like I said in the beginning, I went into this screening with practically no knowledge beyond what was provided to me in the printed program; looking back at that decision, I believe it's fair for me to say I made the right choice. Getting to see films like The Novice at a film festival such as Sidewalk is a great opportunity to see something you would otherwise have never seen or be one of the few to see promising starts for aspiring filmmakers.
Self-destructive determination and toxic repetition are themes we've seen before, but it's up to the individual filmmakers to make their depictions unique and creatively distinguishable. We've seen one such demonstration before in Damien Chazelle's Whiplash (2014), which he tackled with rigorous precision; however, Lauren Hadaway takes all of the determination and obsession to deeper and darker waters. Considering this dark approach coupled with a young lead, it would be fair to say that some could find this relatable to a fine degree; however, it could be said that the entire situation may be too exaggerated, whether that's counting on people being honest with themselves. Nevertheless, the dark waters of mental health play a major factor in the development of Isabelle Fuhrman's character, Alex, as we see a gradual progression from eager freshman wanting to simply be a part of the team to tragically diving head first towards ego-driven harm as the sport becomes more than just simple athletic passions. In this day and age, films effectively convey the struggles of mental health in ways that not only make the situation intriguing as an outsider looking in but also give this theme's real-world application a sense of urgency. Hadaway's direction exceptionally handles the story with gravitas and grit that showcases her emerging craft after working for so long in the realm of sound. I'll remind people again that this is her feature directorial debut, and she knocks it out of the park, which makes me eager to see what project she tackles next.
In both the acting and technical components of the film, Hadaway, Fuhrman, and company come together to bring out the most evocative ways possible! Having both the director and cinematographer make their feature debuts together, both bring their A-games when displaying creative craft, which is notably seen in the cinematography and sound design. Director of Photography Todd Martin, in his feature film debut, approaches the story with cool and shadowy contrasting visuals that complement the strenuous psychological state-of-mind Fuhrman's Alex experiences throughout the film. These cooler tones create a consistent presence of intensity and dread, whether our characters find themselves working out in the gym, on general campus grounds, or right on the water during rowing drills. Prior to Hadaway's directing, she has predominantly been a sound editor, having worked with the likes of Zack Snyder & Quentin Tarantino, so she has a keen ear and set of methods to bring to the film's sound team in order to evoke the right eerie sounds you would expect from dark places. What you hear allows us as the audience to feel the imaginative surreal landscape of a girl's spirit on the verge of breaking to the very real world sounds of her environment constantly ringing in your ear. With all this being said, now it's time to mention the central component of this film: Isabelle Fuhrman's tour de force performance, which embodies an individual's determination to achieve what she wants no matter the consequences. As mentioned earlier, Fuhrman's character 'Alex' steadily transitions through varying degrees of ambition as it leads her in a downward spiral. It's her progress in this story that is both fascinating and tragic to see unfold, which spills on over to her relationships with supporting characters. It's very much a thrilling observation of Alex's response to the world around her and the expectations, however regrettable or fitting, she will have to confront in order to stay afloat. Isabelle Fuhrman brings all these seemingly difficult qualities to life in outstanding fashion.
As we reach the end, we are left to ponder the choices and actions in the story Hadaway has laid before us. Not only was this a thrilling drama about human ambition, but it was also a surprising demonstration of indie filmmaking from some that have been on major studio productions, carrying over those experiences into an impressive debut feature. Like I said in the beginning, I went into this screening with practically no knowledge beyond what was provided to me in the printed program; looking back at that decision, I believe it's fair for me to say I made the right choice. Getting to see films like The Novice at a film festival such as Sidewalk is a great opportunity to see something you would otherwise have never seen or be one of the few to see promising starts for aspiring filmmakers.
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