Movie Review: Sword of Trust

Sword of Trust *** / *****

Directed by: Lynn Shelton.

Written by: Lynn Shelton and Mike O’Brien.

Starring: Marc Maron (Mel), Jon Bass (Nathaniel), Michaela Watkins (Mary), Jillian Bell (Cynthia), Toby Huss (Hog Jaws), Dan Bakkedahl (Kingpin), Lynn Shelton (Deirdre), Timothy Paul (Zeke), Whitmer Thomas (Jake), Al Elliott (Jimmy), Tilcia Furman (Gabby), Benjamin Keepers (Ben), Robert Longstreet (Truther).

 

If nothing else, Lynn Shelton’s Sword of Trust provides definitive proof that Marc Maron is a special actor. The stand-up comedian turned podcast host came to acting later in his career – with his own show, and then Glow. There is something to be said about people who have lived a life before they got to acting – and that Maron has, with his drug addiction, stand-up career, marriages, etc. It informs everything they do. In Sword of Trust, Maron plays Mel – a pawn shop owner in Alabama. Into his shop comes a couple – Mary and Cynthia (Michaela Watkins and Jillian Bell) – with a sword to sell. They inherited it from Cynthia’s grandfather, who believed that the sword, and the documentation that comes along with it, proves that the South really won the Civil War, and all our history is just a giant conspiracy designed to fool us into thinking the North won. Soon, the three of them fall down a rabbit hole of internet conspiracy theories – guided by Mel’s assistant Nathaniel (Jon Bass) someone who knows that world – and meet some very interesting, very scary (in a comedic way) people who are interested in such “prover” items.

 

All of the characters in the movie are interesting in one way or another – none more so than Maron’s Mel however. Maron shows his range in this film – and it’s a range that allows him to be both hilarious, and heartbreakingly real – sometimes in back-to-back moments. He’s got a lot of quips and jokes throughout the film – and they’ll make you laugh – but he also has two absolutely beautiful scenes that revolve his relationship with Deirdre (Lynn Shelton, who co-wrote and directed the film). In the first of these scenes, we see Deirdre come into the pawn shop to try and sell some things. It’s clear these two known each other – it’s clear that there is love there, but Mel is also tired of her coming in, trying to sell her junk that he doesn’t want and doesn’t need. She’s a drug addict – but he feels for her, and the way he interacts with her is firm, yet polite. It’s a beautiful little piece of acting. Later, in the back of a panel van that contains the four main characters being driven to an interested party in acquiring the sword, Maron gives a long monologue about his relationship with Deirdre – how they loved each other, how they were both addicts, and how he got clean and she didn’t. It’s heartbreaking really.

 

In moments like this, Sword of Trust is a genuinely wonderful movie – as good as anything that Shelton has ever done, and probably better than anything since her breakthrough – Humpday. She seems to make her living doing TV work – a lot of TV work – but when he makes her own films, the results are these loosely structured comedic films – films built around their characters, more than their plots, and whose humor comes through them as well. Had she come along in the 1980s or 1990s, she wouldn’t have had to do all this TV work – she could have churned out quite a body of work in these little indies, but alas, the film industry has changed – and these charming indies don’t make what they used to. Shelton has had more than one film basically fall through the cracks – no matter how good they are.

 

With Sword of Trust however, it’s almost a shame that the film ever leaves the pawn shop. I picture a film like Wayne Wang’s Smoke (1995) which all takes place in the cigar shop run by Harvey Keitel – where he’s the constant, and interesting characters’ filter throughout the movie. A movie like that, with Maron’s Mel in his pawn shop – and all these people filtering through for various reasons – probably would have been better than what we end up with. As the film progresses, and continues to have to add implausibility on top of implausibility as it twists its narrative about the sword, and these people who believe in this conspiracy theory (and insist you believe in it too) the movie can become strained at times. It’s best when it’s relaxed – when it’s Maron and whoever he’s playing off of riffing. All the performances are quite good – the characters interesting. When the film relaxes – and lets them talk (like when Mary and Cynthia tell how they met, and their future plans), the films works like gangbusters. Hell, when its lets someone like the great Toby Huss go off playing a characters called Hog Jaws (don’t call him Jaws Hog) it can be hilarious. It’s just when forcing them into a narrative that the film loses its way.

 

Still, it’s always good to see a Lynn Shelton film – because more than anything, she allows her character’s space to breath. It’s in those moments that Sword of Trust can be a truly special film. It’s when the film rushes them through a plot they don’t need when the film loses it way somewhat.

Movie Review: Outside In

Outside In *** ½ / *****

Directed by: Lynn Shelton.

Written by: Jay Duplass and Lynn Shelton.

Starring: Edie Falco (Carol), Jay Duplass (Chris), Kaitlyn Dever (Hildy), Ben Schwartz (Ted), Aaron Blakely (Shane), Alycia Delmore (Tara), Stephen Grenley (Phil), Louis Hobson (Matt), Charles Leggett (Tom), Matt Malloy (Russell).

 

Lynn Shelton’s Outside In is a very quiet film about two people who share a deep connection which is destined to be broken. When Chris (Jay Duplass) was a teenager, he was involved in a crime – it wasn’t necessarily his fault, but he was caught – unlike the others involved – and for that, he has spent 20 years in prison. His former high school teacher, Carol (Edie Falco) has worked throughout that time trying to get him released, which is finally happening as the film opens. Carol and Chris have spent a lot of time during the past years talking on the phone to each other – but its one thing to have that sort of bond – a bond that can only go so far, and has definite boundaries that are impossible to cross. It’s another now that’s he’s out in the real world. You immediately understand the seismic shift for someone like Chris – out of jail for the first time in 20 years, and seeing that your world has moved on in many ways. But the shift for Carol is just as great, in ways she doesn’t fully realize.

 

Strangely, the film seems to work best when Carol and Chris are apart, not together. Now that Chris is out, Carol isn’t quite sure what to do with herself – all the work she did to help Chris is now over, so how will she spend her time? She has a teenage daughter, Hildy (Kaitlyn Dever) – but she doesn’t quite know how to relate to her, perhaps because she has spent so much time with Chris’ case that there relationship is strained, or maybe just because Hildy is a teenage girl, and their relationships with their mothers is often strained. She reaches out to try and reconnect with her husband Tom (Charles Leggett) – but he doesn’t much seem interested. He’s used to his routines, and is dismissive of Carol and her work (she refers to what she did for Chris as a “hobby”). Tom’s goal seems to be to ride out the clock until retirement – then, perhaps, he can reconnect with his wife.

 

For Chris, he isn’t sure what to do. He’s living with his brother, Ted (Ben Schwartz), who is trying to mask his own guilt with big shows of affection and alcohol. There is a party at the beginning where everyone seems so supportive of Chris – who assure him that whatever he needs, they’ll be there for him. But when he does reach out, it’s not quite the reaction he wants. He has no job – no real skills – and is behind everyone else his age. He and Hildy become friends – and not in a creepy way, really. In some strange way, they are both facing the same dilemmas – and both want some sort of connection with Carol that they don’t have. It’s as if they both think if they get to know each other, than perhaps they’ll get to know Carol.

 

The movie hits many of the beats you expect it to, and ends up in the place you probably think it’s going to when you start the film. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. The film is so attuned to its characters – especially Carol – that it makes the most of the smaller moments. Falco has been a great actress for a while now, but she doesn’t get the film roles to show it. She does here, even if you think you don’t need to see another movie about a middle age woman asserting her independence, the film gets there subtly, and the revelations feel earned. Duplass isn’t quite as good – the role isn’t as good – but he is very good at showing Chris’ mixture of relief and nervousness about being out. He’s at his best when he’s simply riding with bike down lonely streets. Dever – who was so good in Short Term 12 – is very good as Hildy as well. And the normally comedic Schwartz has a few nice dramatic moments.

 

Outside In has modest ambitions to be sure, but for the most part fulfills them. Unlike much of Shelton’s work, the film doesn’t really have any comedy in it (the characters barely crack a smile) – but like those other films (the best of which is probably Your Sister’s Sister), it is attuned to everyday life, and the emotions feel genuine.

Movie Review: Your Sister's Sister

Your Sister’s Sister
Directed by: Lynn Shelton.
Written by: Lynn Shelton.
Starring: Emily Blunt (Iris), Rosemarie DeWitt (Hannah), Mark Duplass (Jack).

Like her previous film, Humpday (2009), Lynn Shelton`s Your Sister`s Sister takes what could be the premise of a goofy, Hollywood comedy and finds real characters and even some truth in that premise. Humpday was about two male best friends who decide to try and make some money by making gay porn together – taking the Judd Apatow `bromance` premise to its logical conclusion. Your Sister’s Sister is about a depressed man, Jack (Mark Duplass), still reeling from the death of his brother a year prior, who accepts his best friend’s, Iris’ (Emily Blunt) offer of use of her father’s remote cabin for some time to unwind and reflect. It’s obvious from the first scene in the movie that Jack and Iris are in love with each other, but neither can bring themselves to admit it – perhaps because Iris once dated Jack’s brother, or perhaps because they are afraid of losing their best friend. When Jack arrives at the cabin, he discovers to his surprise that it is not empty – Iris’ sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt) is there for the same reason as he is – a chance for quiet reflection. She just broke up with her girlfriend of 7 years, and isn’t sure what to do next. After a night of drinking tequila and talking about their problems, they fall into bed together for what is one of the most awkward sex scenes in recent memory. They wake up the next day regretting the previous night – and surprised to find Iris has also shown up at the cabin. And, of course, they decide not to tell her what happened the previous night.

Now this premise could easily have been turned into a modern Hollywood comedy, full of pratfalls and sex jokes. But Shelton and her cast (who are also billed as “creative consultants” apparently because they helped develop their characters and write their dialogue) make these three characters into real, three dimensional characters. They have real chemistry together, and until the end of the movie anyway, I had no problem believing each would act the way they do.

Casting in the movie is crucial, and Shelton chose the right three actors here. Emily Blunt is one of the more lovable actresses around who directors love to cast in romantic comedies. But unlike her work in something like this year’s Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, here she is forced to play a real character. Yes, we know she should be with Jack, like the heroine of any romantic comedy should be with her best friend, and not the asshole she is dating. But this time, the reasons that she is drawn to Jack, and the reason she is hesitant to take that step, feel genuine. Her interactions with Jack walk that fine line, so he can never really be sure if she is flirting with him, or just being his jokey best friend. Duplass, who proves in this movie (as well as Humpday and this summer’s Safety Not Guaranteed) that he is probably an even better actor than he is a writer-director (and he’s pretty good at that too – see Cyrus and Jeff, Who Lives at Home). In some ways, his characters fit easily into the mold of overgrown man children that is currently en vogue in American comedies, but his characters somehow feel more real – that he actually has a reason for being this way, and not just because the movie requires it of him. He hides his true feelings for Iris less well than she does – he has those puppy dog eyes that sparkle a little when she looks at him. We also know he’ll never make the first move. And then there is Rosemarie DeWitt as Hannah, who is the most secretive of the bunch. If you think that perhaps this is going to be another Chasing Amy movie about a lesbian who falls for a straight guy, you’d be wrong. She has her reasons for doing what she does – which drives the movies less convincing last act. She is quieter than the other two – she sits back and observes more often than she speaks, but she is just as messed up as the other two. It is another wonderful performance by DeWitt, who is very quietly building an impressive resume.

I mentioned I had problems with the last act of the film, and indeed I do. This is a movie at its best when it feels relaxed. These characters feel natural and real, and are more convincing when they are simply talking to each other, and not forced into a plot. The first hour of the film is excellent at that – but when the revelations start pouring out in the film’s final hour, the movie loses some of that relaxed feel – and starts to feel for the first time like a more typical romantic comedy. Still, that first hour is such a joy, and even though the last half hour feels a little forced it still works for the most part. Your Sister’s Sister is worth seeing for the three excellent lead performances – and to see Shelton once again see the truth behind what could have been an easy setup. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

Movie Review: Humpday

Humpday *** ½
Directed By: Lynn Shelton.
Written By: Lynn Shelton.
Starring: Mark Duplass (Ben), Joshua Leonard (Andrew), Alycia Delmore (Anna), Lynn Shelton (Monica), Trina Willard (Lily).

Ben (Mark Duplass) and Andrew (Joshua Leonard) were best friends in University, but in the years since then they have drifted apart. Ben took the more the more conventional road, getting a job, getting married to Anna (Alycia Delmore), buying a house and deciding to start a family. Essentially, he has become a responsible member of society. Andrew on the other hand never finished University, and has spent the years since traveling around, mostly in Mexico, doing art projects (or at least starting them - he never seems to finish them). One night, at 2 am, Andrew shows up a Ben and Anna’s door, with a ceramic duck, and announces he’s in town for a little while, and would they mind he stay there? They allow it - that’s Andrew, Ben sighs, what can you do? Anna, who barely knows Andrew, remarkably understands.

The next day, Andrew meets a girl at a coffee shop (he’s always doing that), and ends up at her place, at a wild party full of fellow free spirits and artists. He invites Ben over, and during the course of the night, they get drunk, get stoned, and talk - a lot. They find out about an amateur porn festival, that anyone can enter. They start talking about what kind of porn they would make, and then Ben hits upon an idea - why not make a film about two straight men having sex together. That would be different. Andrew agrees, and soon they have decided to film this amateur porn in a few days. Now all that they have to do is tell Anna.

Humpday is an independent movie that is essentially made up of one conversation after another between the characters. Once Ben and Andrew have agreed to do this, they sort of dare each other not to back out. Neither one really wants to go through with it, but neither one wants to be the one who backs out. They goad each other, mock each other. They obviously do care about each other, and maybe are even a little attracted to each other. Part of the reason they want to make this movie is because they are too afraid to look like a chicken in front of the other man, but there is more there then just macho posturing.

That the film was written and directed by a woman is somewhat telling. The film reminded me of the work of Judd Apatow, and the other films in recent years that I have called romantic comedies for guys. In many of those films, I have noticed a lot of homoerotic subtext - the guys in the movies seem to like each other much more than they like the women in them. The guys are least interesting, well rounded characters, and there have been a few moments (in Superbad and I Love You, Man especially) when I have felt that the male characters were on the verge of making out. Humpday takes this to its logical conclusion. Not only that but the wife character in the movie, which is usually just mindless uninteresting characters seen in these movies, but here she is as interesting as the male characters. When Ben explains to Anna why he wants to go ahead with the porn movie, he explains that he feels that some of the other sides of his personality have been crushed by their marriage. When she reveals that she also has other sides - and then reveals one to him - he says “I thought you were lying when you said you had other sides”. That’s the attitude of most of these filmmakers. The guys are interesting, funny, well written and drawn, and girls are perfection personified, willing to put up with just about anything from their men.

The films final scene in an extended sequence of the two men in a hotel room together, where they are set to make their porn movie. I will not reveal what happens in that room, but I will say that like the rest of the movie, it is hilarious, heartfelt and perceptive. This is an honest movie from beginning to end, one that understands its characters, and loves them in a strange way. The film is funnier than most big budget comedies are, but also more perceptive about its characters. Most movies would have ended a few minutes before this one does. But the look on the face of the character left in that room at the end is subtle, yet heartbreaking. This is a wonderful, little comedy.