Something, Anything

SOMETHING, ANYTHING (2014)

This film took me by surprise. In the first few minutes I guarded myself against what I expected would be a sappy sentimental journey, however the story and understated handling of it soon moved into territory that drew me into the silence. Yes, this is another indie movie with a loud, quiet presence.

Peggy, (Margaret), is the female Pretender. She tries to follow the path that is set out for her of supposed happiness. At the conclusion of the film I looked back to the introduction of Peggy's character and appreciate what a nuanced portrayal the actress, Ashley Shelton, gave.

Something/Anything will always be a Todd Rundgren album I love, but now it is also a slice-of-life tale that follows a young woman as, after a personal tragedy and betrayal, she pares down the superficial and searches for sanity and salvation in any sense of the word. The religious aspects made me uncomfortable, as religious aspects do, but they serve here to tell the story of this seeker who is eventualy found by fireflies and true loving friendship.

With 18:18 minutes left in the film a lamp is shown, which is the exact same stained glass firefly lamp that sits on my dresser and has been a beautiful part of my surrounding for decades since I fell for it in a little shop in Chicago. That was a fun bonus for me. If you don't know the lamp in person, it would be impossible to tell that it is made up of images of fireflies -- a lovely touch by the filmmakers who imbued their character study project with this kind of heart all the way through.

It has a good vibe in a landscape of bombastic movies that glorify superficiality... that said, I do with the lead had a better wig!

This modest indie parable has an interesting premise: 20-something Margaret starts to search for something more fulfilling than marriage and career after her husband lets her down in a monumental way and she's forced to stiff a client to make a little extra profit for her company. The storyline's original enough to hold our interest at first, but Margaret's gradual downsizing of her life is largely carried out in silence, and what little dialogue there is is strictly functional, so the pace begins to drag a bit.

She seems inspired by the example of a friend's brother, a Trappist monk at the famous Gethsemani monastery, but the connection between them is tenuous, and when their paths do cross, the outcome is inconclusive (though not for the obvious reason). This is a film you have to bring a lot to in order to take anything away from it. First-time director Paul Harrill doesn't seem to be able to add much texture to what finally seems like a fairly generic tale, and it may be hard to get involved in Margaret's story unless you're already in total sympathy with her spiritual quest.

Although the movie came out slow at times (mostly in the beginning) , I felt it was moving as the character did. Peggy was someone that would be quiet and listen often rather than speak first thing. I believe this movie did such a fantastic job at showing how you might feel, being pressured into a particular way of life. As a Midwesterner native myself, it hit me fairly well. The small steps she took in deciding to be someone else were moving.

I prefer a movie that isn't all over the place and keeps you thinking about what the character is dealing with. And this movie coincided with what i'm dealing with and helped me think on life and what we live it for.

Thought provoking, life provoking, and overall splendid watch.

I found this film to be quite moving and subtle. At times the main character seemed very much lost, and not equipped to make a decision, then she would do the short term easy thing. This just made her character seem more real to me. It wasn't about her finding herself, but making the first steps on the journey.

There was much emphasis placed on packing up possessions during her moves, as well as the disposal of items. The point, of course, was to ask how much we really need stuff, and how it can weigh us down.

Highly recommended for anyone who cares about such struggles, the battle between the internal and external, and the battle between the spiritual and material. I related quite strongly to this.