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THE SUNLIT NIGHT
Director: David Wnendt Cast: Jenny Slate, Alex Sharp, Fridtjov Såheim, Jessica Hecht, David Paymer, Elise Kibler, Zach Galifianakis, Gillian Anderson MPAA
Rating: Running Time: 1:22 Release Date: 7/17/20 (digital & on-demand) |
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Review by Mark Dujsik | July 16, 2020 The Sunlit Night feels as if a significant chunk or notable pieces of the story are missing. The movie comes from a screenplay by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight, who has adapted her novel, so in theory, the story here would at least seem to be accurate and authentic to the source material. Perhaps it's not, though. At a scant and hastened 80 minutes, the movie bypasses any kind of character development. That's important for a story such as this one, which focuses on the journey of an artist, who travels from an unfulfilling life in New York City to some remote island in the north of Norway. Frances (Jenny Slate) sees her work scathed, experiences a break-up (of a romantic relationship only established by a few shots of the two swimming in a pool), learns that her younger sister (played by Elise Kibler) is engaged, and discovers that her parents (played by Jessica Hecht and David Paymer) are separating. Leaving for an isolated place definitely won't hurt Frances. She obtains an apprenticeship with Nils (Fridtjov Såheim), a quiet but temperamental artist whose latest work is a piece of installation art—a barn located within a Viking museum/village. Frances has to put up with her boss' moods and strict schedule, the lack of time to work on her own art, and the near-constant glare of the sun, even at night. The movie, which only gives us a sense of Frances through intermittent narration (in which she mostly shows a knowledge of art history), seems primarily concerned with culture shock and eccentricities (Zach Galifianakis plays the Cincinnati-born Viking "leader," and a goat becomes Frances' roommate in her cramped trailer). Along the way, our protagonist does win over Nils and find some inspiration, but in the process, we're also introduced to Yasha (Alex Sharp), who has arrived to give his late father a proper Viking funeral. The filmmakers (David Wnendt directed) try to juxtapose and connect the lives and experiences of these two characters, but they rush through telling both characters' stories, actually connecting Frances and Yasha, and trying to provide a sense that each of them has overcome a personal hurdle. It's a lot of story to tell, and everything but the characters takes precedence. By the time The Sunlit Night ends, it feels as if the filmmakers completely forgot to tell the story that matters. Copyright © 2020 by Mark Dujsik. All rights reserved. |
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