Clementine

Greetings again from the darkness. A lovely opening sequence shows Karen in bed, the morning sun barely able to match the light of love emanating from inside her. We never see Karen's lover's face, but we hear D's voice as the two ladies share the beginning of a day. Our next scene has Karen unable to enter the house the two shared. Ramsey the dog barks at her through the glass pane of the door that Karen's key no longer opens. Frustrated, she hops back in her car.

We soon learn that Karen's idea of revenge (or coping) after being dumped is to break into D's Oregon lake house, take down a painting from over the bed, smoke some pot, drink some wine, and replay D's voice messages. Her plan doesn't seem to go much deeper, but it's not long before she has met Lana, a local girl who claims to be 19 years old - though we all know she's younger. Lana is a bit odd, though clearly attracted to Karen, herself intrigued by the unusual girl. This strange little cat and mouse game is then crashed by Beau, the handyman for D's lake house.

The first feature from writer-director Lara Gallagher excels at keeping us off-balance, despite moving at a pace that allows the viewer plenty of time for thought and observation. Complementing the uneasiness is the score from Katy Jarzebowski, with its harsh single piano note, sometimes accompanied by violin ... the sound of a horror film, though this is no Hollywood cabin in the woods. Three times we are shown the handgun in the drawer, and though it plays a significant part, it's not in the way that our movie mind has been trained.

Otmara Marrero plays Karen, and rising star Sydney Sweeney is Lana. The two joust very well, though it's Lana who fascinates. She's curious of love and life, while not quite being ready. Lana is a manipulator thanks to an innocence that draws Karen in. Will Brittain (BLOW THE MAN DOWN) plays Beau in a manner of which we are never really certain - friend or foe? Finally, Sonya Walger is D. She doesn't show up until late in the film, but she is precisely what we have envisioned.

There is an odd cadence to the film, and the performances assist with confounding us. It's a coming of age story for two females of different ages, and we can't help but notice that Karen has been involved in two relationships featuring the older woman/younger woman dynamic. Of course, her role reversal in the two relationships is at the core of the film. Indie band Lightning Dust contributes an outstanding song with "Antonia Jane", and we are left thinking this is a psychological thriller without the thrills. Filmmaker Lara Gallagher has delivered a personal project reminding us that toxic relationships aren't limited to man-woman.

I am a fan of slow-burns and I always seem to find good elements in almost any movie, but this film constantly felt like something was about to happen, something was going to twist or reveal itself, but it never does.

This film is honestly bizarre as it literally doesn't have an ending. The movie just ends seemingly randomly without any reveal or clearly signified conclusion. It literally feels like they forgot to add in a scene.

I enjoyed the locations and the odd character dynamics between the main characters, but I kept expecting more from Lana's character specificity. She is built up as a possible liar and complex character, but that is completely thrown out. None of the characters in this film I felt sympathetic towards and I disliked all of them. Unlikable main characters can work sometimes depending on the story you want to tell, but in this case it seems accidental.

I have no idea if the director even wanted to communicate a clear story, all I can do is make assumptions. There wasn't enough information conveyed about D., Karen's ex. All I can assume is that Karen didn't want to repeat the dynamic between her and her ex with Lana, but this really wasn't conveyed in a clear way. Actually, after the final phone call, it seems like the only true victim in this story is Lana herself, but I have no idea if that's how the director wanted the "ending" interpreted. The ending is open, but not in a good way.

Overall, this film wants to tell too much with too little.

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.

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.

Terrible, artificial and forced. Overbearing musical score is jarring