This film opens with a shot of the main character sitting on a bed is a fairly empty room – she is alone, the room is bare, and even the noise of the city seems distant below; it is a striking starting point, not least because it is a reconstruction of an Edward Hopper painting. This focus on the design and aesthetics continues through the film as we get a walk through a mix of walking and dreaming states, with links to memory and the subconscious to try and make them clearer and put them in context. As a journey through this, it is really well done and put together, with great images, engaging performances, and a generally strong dreamlike state – continuing all the way to the very classy end titles.
The problem is that I am not sure what exists below this level; I am sure something does, and am sure that the writer/director understands every second of it, but for me as a dumb viewer, even after several viewings I felt no closer to working it out. This is not to suggest I wanted to be spoonfed but for sure it could have been more accessible as a narrative. That said, even without this, the design and visually striking nature of it is pretty much enough to carry it and engage the viewer for the 10 minute run time, and while I did feel an element of frustration with its impenetrability, I also appreciated the crafting on each viewing.
The problem is that I am not sure what exists below this level; I am sure something does, and am sure that the writer/director understands every second of it, but for me as a dumb viewer, even after several viewings I felt no closer to working it out. This is not to suggest I wanted to be spoonfed but for sure it could have been more accessible as a narrative. That said, even without this, the design and visually striking nature of it is pretty much enough to carry it and engage the viewer for the 10 minute run time, and while I did feel an element of frustration with its impenetrability, I also appreciated the crafting on each viewing.
