Rarely have I ever seen a film tackle such a controversial topic with the utmost humanity and thankfully, Eliza Hittman is to thank for all of this. Never Rarely Sometimes Always is an absolutely exceptional film that quietly tells the story of a young girl struggling with an unplanned pregnancy. The tender filmmaking that Hittman exhibits is beyond compare and although her direction might have relied a bit too heavily on its visual storytelling, there is no other way that I think this story could have been as impactful. Abortion is one topic that will forever be debated and especially in our current climate, one that people will almost never change their opinions on. Despite what you believe, this movie shows the actuality of what it is like to have to deal with an unexpected pregnancy and to do so with such grace was phenomenal. Hittman absolutely succeeded my expectations with this film and there is frankly no better cast or crew that could have more gracefully told the story of this young woman.
Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) is a young girl living in Pennsylvania who, after feeling upset for weeks, goes to the doctor and discovers that she is ten weeks pregnant. Not having the resources or supportive parents that she can turn to, she brings along her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) to New York City in an attempt to reclaim her life and make a choice that has always been hers. Eliza Hittman's writing and direction are absolutely incredible and make this film as wonderfully powerful as it is. Telling this very relevant story without the use of excess dialogue was such a fantastic choice because it leaves it up to the audience to really take in what is happening. I love how Hittman leaves it up to most of the cast and crew to really carry this story and even throughout this movie, it was obvious to see how passionate she was about telling this story right. Some people might not completely be on board with how quiet and subdued most of this film was but the lack of extreme conflict really made for an interesting character study that everyone can learn from. The relationship between Autumn and her cousin Skylar really solidified just that: a lack of unnecessary dialogue that instead leads the audience to a more interesting dynamic on what it is like to be a woman dealing with the politics of pregnancy. The sensory use of sound design and how well this movie tells its story through the visuals make for such a grand experience. Films always work out so much better when a filmmaker is able to tell their story without having to completely explain themselves every step of the way and this tactic definitely suits this story extremely well. I also loved how dull and frankly bleak the color grading was throughout this movie paired with the cinematography from Hélène Louvart. Every shot was gorgeously composed and the use of color to characterize Autumn's journey and even make New York City look insufferable was brilliant.
All of the performances in this film are just stunning and especially from Sidney Flanigan, who gives her debut performance as Autumn. She is the undeniably emotional powerhouse of this movie and I was genuinely taken aback when I found out that she had not acted in anything previously. Her tender portrayal of this subject matter was enthralling and the titular scene in particular between Autumn and the counselor before her surgery is just absolutely riveting. Knowing how much pain she had to go through in order to get to this point in the story is just raw, honest filmmaking. Flanigan plays this scene with such emotion and as cliché as it sounds, I really could not even tell that she was acting. Her performance throughout this film is incredibly subdued, but that is just what the character of Autumn honestly calls for. This film never dramatizes anything or exaggerates the struggle to a crowd-pleasing degree, but rather tells it exactly like it is. Not every story has to have a gloriously happy ending or depressingly bleak conclusion, but sometimes a film like this can utilize its reality to hit the audience the hardest. Scott Cummings' editing also complements the story very nicely by allowing it to breathe more than anything. Never Rarely Sometimes Always demands that the audience be allowed to take in their surroundings and get enveloped in the strict journey of Autumn and Skylar and the editing helps with just that. Focusing just on Autumn's face and refusing to cut during this counselor scene alone makes the entire film worth it and seeing Flanigan's jaw-droppingly amazing performance paired with that is enough to make this one of the best films of the year so far.
Now that a good handful of releases are coming out directly on digital, there is no better time to watch some incredible, new films and this one is absolutely the most worthy of one's money. Never Rarely Sometimes Always takes a controversial topic and pushes it to new, humanist heights by giving its lead an undeniably compelling story to work with. I adored this movie and while the refrained type of filmmaking might not be for everyone, it absolutely worked on me and I desperately hope that this film is released again in theaters sometime soon.
My Rating: ★★★★½
No comments:
Post a Comment