Clementine

Perfectly paced, beautifully filmed and well acted suspenseful story about the complexity of women's relationships and a girl's coming of age. Hauntingly impactful original score.

I swear it's the same movie but Swimming Pool was better. A little more heat could have helped this movie a lot.

Karen (Otmara Marrero) has a bad breakup with D (Sonya Walger) who changed the locks on her and even steals her dog. Karen takes off and breaks into a country house. She is befriended by neighbor teen Lana (Sydney Sweeney). Handyman Beau (Will Brittain) shows up to check on the house.

The first half has a great quiet intensity. Karen is constantly threatened with exposure which does lead to the question why. Why doesn't she simply leave? There is an answer about halfway in the movie. It's a good answer but the movie does need to find something quick to replace the tension. It's a little slow to get there but it does eventually get somewhere. The slow pacing is a double-edged sword. It's part of the movie's charms but it's also part of its problem. Filmmaker Lara Gallagher may be a name to look for in the future.

I get tired of the reviews that say there's no entertainment or escape here in this film, or that it is boring. If you want escape, try Thailand, and if you can't get through a movie without a car chase or shoot-em-up without finding it boring, well, perhaps movies aren't your thing.

This is a well-made movie about desire, about wanting to be something really badly but not knowing if you even have it in you. The music is understated, which is a rare pleasure, and the acting is good. The characters feel real.

The main character portrays well that feeling after a breakup, when part of you feels liberated, part is angry, part wants to reconcile, and most of you is just spinning a lot, trying to figure out the next step.

Clementine is a slow paced film which conveys a very life like tone through a vehicle of subtle shots, the scenery and locations, the very relatable moments. Yet it only appears to work to some degree, as the audience are teased along on a ride to something dramatic or intense that never seems to come or register. The Film is relatable to everyone, however it is most relatable to those who have experienced a recent relationship breakup. Lara Gallagher builds up to something, but in the end I'm not entirely sure of what. The subliminal message is far from obvious, in fact it's more oblivious to me, my guess is it's something along the lines of 'relationships suck'!

Karen (Otmara Marrero) toys with the idea of a relationship with a younger provocative woman as opposed to the previous older partner of the same sex. Fresh off a breakup Karen breaks into her ex's lake house seeking refuge. The acting makes the film bearable in a turn of events that feel somewhat pointless. Lana (Sydney Sweeney) is perceived to be a troubled bored youth with a need for attention. Karen is fascinated by her but not entirely convinced she is trustworthy of always telling the truth. Both characters appear to be victims, possibly the strongest message of the piece is that relationships have no discrimination on sex and both men and women can be equally as difficult when strong feeling are involved. Lana stripped down to the bone in order to pursue her goals as an actress while Karen is left feeling hopeless and lost due to the impact of her relationship with D. (Sonya Walger). Promising signs from an acting point of view.

The score is the most unique or unusual considering the content, it often leads us to believe something horrific or outrageous is only a few feet away that never really comes to light. Far from a horror/thriller at times, just a reflection on reality from calm peaceful silence to on the edge tipping points, the balanced blend between the two is very close to home.

Lara Gallagher has made a worthy attempt of making her audience feel something for her characters, still, the final ingredient to the recipe is missing that spice leaving the end feeling a little flat.