Good One

India Donaldson's first feature film, Good One, is a quiet, slow-paced story that trusts viewers to pay attention and recognize important moments, even when it may seem that nothing much is happening. Good One marks the arrival of two notable talents: Donaldson and Lily Colias. Eschewing the typical storytelling signposts and noisy confrontations, the film unspools slowly, with cinematographer Wilson Cameron's keen eye making nature a vital part of the tale.

The dynamic of a planned three-day hike is markedly altered when Matt's son bails at the last minute, leaving 17-year-old Sam to function as a third wheel with her father Chris (a spot-on James Le Gros) and Matt (Danny McCarthy), two middle-aged men in need of more respite than a hike can provide, even with Sam there to reveal wisdom and poise beyond her years.

Not since Jennifer Lawrence's star turn in Debra Granik's Winter's Bone has a young actor so vividly presented a fresh talent to keep an eye on. We will be seeing a lot more of Colias. Le Gros brings a quiet complexity to Chris, bringing to mind his stellar work in Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women. Like Reichardt, Donaldson's film is not flashy, subtly calling attention to the faces of the cast and glory of nature. While Celia Hollander's quality score at times underscores the mood, it is occasionally intrusive when natural sounds and silence would have better served the moment.

Once the small, big thing happens, Matt does not speak again, nor is he seen in the same frame as Sam. Only very briefly is he on screen with Chris. The shots and framing are no accident. The implications for the trio's relationships going forward are suggested with delicacy. The visual storytelling makes for a sumptuous treat on a small scale. For a film in which "very little happens," the events of the hike change all three.

A remarkable new actress has been born. Progressively preposterous, as it became that a 17-year old as special as Sam would go on a hiking trip with her father and his best friend, her acting will keep you watching until the end. Throughout the film, I kept thinking her face and expressions could belong to a precocious young French actress (think Léa Seydoux). Reading her biography, I found out her mother is French. I am certain we will see, and hear, more of Lilly Collias. Other than Collias, the two male leads, James LeGros and Danny Mc Carthy are very convincing in their roles. Both the camerawork and the writing are exceptional.

Good one dad... Not... I liked the subtlety of the facial expressions, the many close-ups, the hints, the looks. When will we be able to stop tiptoeing around men's fragile egos? It's not like they return the favour or care whatever we feel. We're just being emotional or crazy.

This deserves more recognition. It's a precious little gem. I'm sure it's not everybody's cup of tea but I think most women will appreciate what it's trying to say.

I'm starting to feel I might be blessed for not spending that much time with my dad as a kid, if at all. I would have hated being around all this. Although I've witnessed plenty of butthurt behaviour at family gatherings. Always triggered by alcohol of course. Brings out the worst in people.

Written and directed by India Donaldson, the movie follows 17-year-old Sam (Lily Collias) going on an excursion in the Catskills along with her father Chris (James Le Gros) and his friend Matt (Danny McCarthy). A trip to the heart of the woods that naturally exposes each character's anxieties as they tread different paths in their lives. Wiser than her age, Sam is presented as observant whose mood goes from taciturn to enthusiastically playful to earnestly mature. Donaldson's attention to detail traces behavioral nuances that subtly illustrate shadings of perception that never depart from the natural and realistic. Dialogues weaving seamlessly without requiring inauthentic drama allows us to feel not only invested in what is happening, but also part of it.

According to Donaldson, the idea was born from her own experiences growing up and going camping with her father and his friends. Her debut length feature is, at its core, a character study that is interested in an immersive contemplative experience through the eyes of someone whose sensitivity might not be shared, not because of differences in what constitutes moral values, but because of a displacement in presumptions. By reason of the object of perception not being equally perceived, different readings of it are born. A decisive event in the movie articulates this difference in interpellation and renders what came before, our being with these characters and making our own assumptions after the time spent, something needing to be recontextualized.

It would be tempting to see in Good One anything but a reproduction of ideological discourses where the lines between good and evil are clearly drawn, and by doing so, something that voids reality from its complexities. Nonetheless, its non-judgmental approach is more interested in exposition than it is in lecturing. This is a story grounded in believable events and as such, said line could not be further from being drawn no matter how questionable some remarks might be interpreted.

India Donaldson makes a smooth, clever, and captivating indie film debut that I thoroughly enjoyed. In just 90 minutes, she weaves a story about three characters that seems straightforward at first glance, but it's so sharp and engaging that you might not catch the deeper layers unfolding beneath the surface.

Sam (Lily Collias) is a sensible seventeen-year-old gearing up for a camping trip with her dad, his best friend, and his friend's son, who's around her age. When a last-minute argument causes the son to bail, Sam ends up alone with the two older guys on their wilderness adventure in upstate New York. As a grounded young woman on the brink of adulthood, she takes the good-natured teasing from the men in stride, but as the trip goes on, the dynamics shift, revealing more about who these men really are.

Though the two men don't often check in on Sam's feelings, they seem decent enough. Chris has always supported his daughter's queer identity, and she keeps in touch with her girlfriend whenever she can get a signal. Matt tells Sam she's wise beyond her years, calling her a rare "good one" compared to other reckless teens.

Scene by scene, Donaldson skillfully reveals the underlying dynamics, aided by the remarkable performance of Collias. For such a young actress, she brings incredible depth to Sam. As the relationships evolve, her introspection shines through, often conveyed more through her gestures and body language than through dialogue, showcasing a level of confidence and skill that's impressive for her age.

A quiet yet powerful film!