A rural group home for pregnant teenagers is the setting for this intimately detailed, sharply observed modernist melodrama, directed by Nathan Silver (Exit Elena). The director’s mother, Cindy Silver, plays Carla Gottlieb, the residence’s founder and leader. The troubles ramp up with the arrival of Carla’s grown nephew, Robbie (David Dahlbom), newly separated from his wife, who volunteers for a two-week stint as a handyman. While there, Robbie falls in love with Nina (India Menuez – Something in the Air), one of the pregnant women, sparking conflict with her boyfriend, Chase (Casey Drogin).
Silver’s incisive direction blends discernment and expressive angularity; he develops his characters in deft and rapid strokes and builds tension with an almost imperceptible heightening of tone and darkening of mood. The acting and the freestyle cinematography, intensely sensitive to the flickers of the moment, yield sensual and emotional wonders. With a superbly poised, experienced independent-film cast that includes Gina Piersanti (It Felt Like Love), Hannah Gross (I Used to Be Darker), and Tallie Medel (The Unspeakable Act).
Richard Brody
The New Yorker
Please note that the festival is over 18s only
