I'm all about firmly establishing that putting pressure on people to have children is a cruel, ignorant, arrogant, awful thing to do. Whether the source of that pressure is society and culture, peers, family, tradition, or anything else at all - even hormones and biology - the very notion that people who can become pregnant can and should and must sacrifice their will and autonomy to anyone or anything else, and that refusal or declination to do so suggests one is "broken" or "abnormal," is a level of horror that's all too real. In turn, it's only reasonable that a movie should be made about exactly that. I would say that filmmaker Alexis Jacknow approaches all this with a heavy hand, but then, when the question in the air is one of self-autonomy and self-determination in the face of monumental opposing forces, there's not much room for nuance. On the other hand, this is cinematic storytelling we're talking about, and not politics, and however potent and admirable some dialogue and scene writing may be on an emotional level, extending that heavy hand to the construction of the picture isn't necessarily as smart or commendable. It's not that this isn't well made, or that there aren't good ideas on hand, because this couldn't be further from the truth. Yet the fact remains that for all the fine craftsmanship and intelligence that went into it, 'Clock' feels hard and blocky as a viewing experience, like a key that doesn't truly fit into the lock of our brain.
I'm going to keep using the phrase "heavy-handed" here, because it's all too appropriate. While the overarching concept already provides a thick, viscous layer to take in, like the most unforgiving humidity that you nevertheless have to breathe in, there's more. Other ideas that Jacknow adds to it might be a step too far; protagonist Ella's family history, and the sense of obligation that follows therefrom, are ideas worth exploring, and the lines Ella drops in one key conversation with Dr. Simmons in this regard are all too on point - but this extra angle just feels excessive in light of, well, that entire first paragraph I just wrote. The psychological angle is full of delicious potential, but it's one that specifically requires a very delicate, subtle hand to do well; as there's no mistaking that Jacknow's digits are leaden, the approach kind of falls flat. Disturbing imagery is genuinely gnarly; intended jump scares, and the most unnatural visions to present, just seem out of place here. The shift in the color palette, the cinematography that keys in on Elle's troubled mindset, dialogue and scene writing to follow in the latter half: in far, far too many ways, in conjuration and in execution, 'Clock' practically beats us over the head with every odd and end. In every capacity there are a lot of terrific ideas here, and I recognize a great bounty of possibilities in what this could have been. "Could have been," however, is not "is."
Even before the revelation to come in the last act, precipitating the finale, the result of all this heavy-handedness - one clunky, boulder-sized dispensation after another - is that the whole feels a little scattered and unfocused. As if to emphasize the point, while on the one hand Ella gets another triumphant moment to shine in the last small stretch, what follows in the very last few minutes just feels like an absolute mishmash, as though Jacknow couldn't figure out exactly how to end the story, or what she wanted to say.
Everything looks and sounds good from a standpoint of the fundamental construction. Production design, art direction, visual effects, sound effects, music, direction, acting, editing, costume design, hair, makeup, cinematography: even if I don't agree with all the choices made, I appreciate the hard work and skill that went into this. Jacknow's direction is mostly just fine. I really do like the ideas that she put into her screenplay. The sad fact remains that, not least given the psychological edge to the storytelling, what this feature needed above all was a more carefully considered, thoughtful, tactful approach, in almost every manner. Even for all this, I think 'Clock' represents a fairly strong first full-length film for Jacknow, and I truly look forward to seeing what she does in the future as she further develops her skills as a storyteller and filmmaker. Part of me feels bad being so critical here because I recognize the earnestness of the intent, and all the ardor that made this what it is. Still, however smart this or that may be, when you get down to it the final product just isn't particularly thrilling, or entertaining, or satisfying - not even on that emotional level that does provide some gratifying tidbits here and there. I wish nothing but the best for Jacknow, or anyone else involved, and all the best of luck in their future endeavors; may this 2023 flick be a platform that helps them step up to something more.
