"Redlands" is fascinating and difficult film. It tells the story of three people and how they interact. First up is Allan, a poor shlub going through a difficult divorce who has decided to try being a photographer. Next is Vienna, a receptionist and part-time model who met Allan at a photography seminar and is now working on a series of artistic nudes with him. Finally, Zack, Vienna's boyfriend (and escort) who is an aspiring musician.
We watch their lives unfold in a series of single take static shots -- the camera sits there and watches things happen, never moving, never cutting (with one shocking exception, which I will not disclose). The relationships are fascinating -- Allan is in a bad situation, yet he and Vienna bond over a shared art project. Vienna is sweet and supportive of Allan, does thoughtful vlogs, tolerates Zack, and yet is strangely unkind to a worker at her office. And Zack is a first-class prick from beginning to end. And when things go bad -- and they do -- it's jolting and truly tragic.
As I said, it's not an easy film to watch. Some scenes are uncomfortable to watch, some seem to go on way too long, and others seem to have no bearing on anything that is happening. At 1 hour and 50 minutes, it probably could have used some editing to clean it up and yet, in another way, its meandering is part of its power.
The acting is very solid for a group of actors I've never heard of -- Clifford Morts plays Allan with real pathos, Sam Brittan is detestable as Zack, and Nicole Fox (winner of one of the seasons of "America's Top Model") shines as Vienna. Nicole's experience as a model clearly helped her define her character, as she manages to really convey a model's attraction to artistic photography. She also has a couple of non-sexual nude scenes that she manages to play convincingly and naturally.
Some places are marketing this as a "horror film" but it most certainly is not. I can definitely recommend it and as my title said, this may be a hard film to watch, but it's harder to turn away from.
