The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open

Some amazing acting! Violet Nelson is just remarkable, as is her co-star/writer/director Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers. The real-time plot line makes this even more riveting. Don't approach the movie wanting some fast action, but with a sensibility for real-life interactions.

I'll have to say; it is not easy to watch this movie, because of the sensitive subject matter. The plot is real and gritty. The interactions deeply felt and heart-wrenching.

There is so much depth to this film. There is such truth it is a must-see film in my estimation. I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and did not pass by this gem. I hope to see much more from both of these amazing women and the co-director/writer Kathleen Hepburn.

I saw "The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open" a day after seeing "1917." The films share the stylistic trait of being filmed (mostly) to look like one continuous shot. "1917," a movie about a long-ago conflict populated by white men and full of canned platitudes is being heaped with praise and is all over the awards buzz circuit. "The Body Remembers.....", which feels urgent and of the moment, has exactly 4 reviews on IMDb as I write this review, which will be the fifth once I click "Submit."

This is what people are talking about when they vent frustration that movies are so dominated by white male stories. I am a white male, and I don't boycott movies based on them being about white males. "Joker," "Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood," and "Uncut Gems" were among my favorite movies of 2019. But I do also crave stories about and by other demographics, and I understand the resentment when things like "1917" and "Ford v Ferrari," bro films if ever there were any, dominate the cultural conversation while films like this one are barely seen by anyone.

"The Body Remembers..." is a quietly magnificent and very moving film about....well, about lots of things actually. About domestic abuse, first and foremost. But also about class difference, about being a minority, about how some minorities are perceived to be more "minority" than others, even by those in their same demographic. It's about privilege and the blitheness that comes with it, even in well-intentioned people. It's about one person not being able to understand the decisions made by another when the "right" decision seems so obvious. It's a film that communicates as much, maybe more, during its long silent moments as it does when characters are talking. It's my favorite kind of movie, as it doesn't ask its audience to side with anyone or even like anyone. It just asks us to spend some time with them and see what kind of empathy we might have for them. It does what I turn to fictional narratives for...it puts me in the shoes of someone different from me and lets me experience what the world looks like from their perspective, which often looks quite different from the world as I experience it.

Of course I'm not naive enough to think a film this small or off the beaten path would ever be considered for serious awards attention, but I was more moved, energized, and excited by this film than all but a couple of the movies that will be vying for Oscars in a few weeks.

Grade: A+

One of the most incredibly close, really personal films I have ever seen. Sensory and emotional realism in every frame.

They shot the film in real time, in a single continues take and that's so rare because it takes a lot of work at choreographing everything at the smallest details, but regardless of the effort I don't think that they managed to achieve something special with the way they shot it. There is a lot of black shades that prevent you to see the faces of the actors at some scenes, so nice effort but it could have been much better. The cast did a very good job. The two main actresses are very good here, but then again that's to be expected when in a film planned with this much detail. Overall I really liked the movie although there are a few scenes when they drag it a bit and as intimate as the movie is at saying this small story, the message of the film it's universal and important.

Being a slow burn, this film is best for a (possibly mature) Canadian or Indie film fan and features superb acting. Kudos all around.