Aloft,
written and directed by Peruvian filmmaker Claudia Lhosa, is a bit of a mess
for the first part of the film because we get no back-story and see characters
behaving incomprehensibly. About
half- to two-thirds of the way in when we have more history, the characters and
their behavior make more sense.
I’ll give you some of that background—without spoilers—because I think
the movie is at fault for leaving the viewer mystified for so long.
Nana (Connelly), the main character is a healer
who has had some success, but finds it important to keep her identity as such a
secret from the public, partly because otherwise she would be deluged but
partly because she doesn’t really want to take credit. She has two sons, Ivan (Murphy) and
Gully (Winta McGrath) who has been diagnosed with a life-threatening
tumor. Ivan is a falconer like his
grandfather, and finds it important to take the bird with him wherever he
goes. Because of tragic events in
his life, Ivan as a grown man is eccentric and hot-tempered, is married with a
child, and falconry is his profession.
The film jumps back and forth in time, which creates more
disorientation.
Another confusing aspect of the film is that
the actor in the role of Ivan’s wife looks so much like Connelly, so it’s not
always clear who the characters are.
Sometimes scenes are included that appear to be extraneous, such as
Nana’s affair and a falcon getting shot.
Perhaps they have symbolic meanings, but if so, I missed it.
At any rate, in his adult life, Ivan is
approached by reporter Jannia (Laurent), working on a documentary on falcons
and requests an interview with him.
When she begins to ask him questions, however, he realizes she has
another agenda and he bolts from the room in anger. As is typical of him, he has second thoughts, and gets back
in touch with her, does interviews about falcons, and they make a short journey
together.
All the action takes place in the Arctic and in
Canada where the picture was filmed (Manitoba), and cinematographer Nicolas
Bolduc (Enemy) takes full advantage
of high winds, blanketed snow, and ice-covered lakes for dramatic effect in
underscoring the emotional scenes and experiences of the characters. Panoramas of the landscape are chillingly
beautiful.
Especially in the last half of the story,
Connelly (many awards for performance in A
Beautiful Mind) shows again that she knows her craft and she and Murphy (a
frequently nominated Irish actor) reflect very well their mother/son
conflicts. Laurent (Inglourious Basterds), a French actress
likewise popular on the award circuit, provides refreshing relief from the
other two characters’ neuroses and dilemmas.
Aloft
is a quiet, thoughtful film that will not appeal to everyone; the viewer needs
to enjoy and feel comfortable thinking about the dialog and understanding the
characters. It does bring up the
issue of healing practices outside the medical profession as well as emotional
healing, which I found interesting, along with parenting in a family with a
life-threatening illness. The
picture it shows of families with a seriously ill child, the desperation they
feel and the tendency to ignore the siblings, is entirely realistic. Something rather disconcerting,
perhaps, is that this mother leaves her young children alone far more often
than we Americans do, especially those of today.
Quiet and thoughtful in exploring the
issue of healing.
Grade: C By Donna
R. Copeland
No comments:
Post a Comment