Valerii Ege D
River is a documentary film voiced by Willem Dafoe. The documentary about the place of rivers in our lives, where they came from, and where they are now is very informative and visually impressive.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
09/16/22
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Audience Member
Fresh Allegory for Alienation - River follows a long tradition of achingly introspective, dramatic sci-fi all the way back to Asimov. Immersive, character driven stories that require one to do the emotional work along with the protagonist rather than just be passively shocked and prodded for an adrenal squeeze every 58.2 seconds. I was delighted River is not another of the formula retread, timed-to-the-trope, boiler-plate plotters that have taken over sci-fi cinema. Instead, River is a thoughtful, dramatic, psychological suspense that leads you into the dissociative fugue of being alien unto oneself. So, those who can and enjoy swimming the deep, wade on into River.
Writer-Director-Cinematographer Emily Skye throws us, along with the gossamer Mary Cameron Rogers as River Allen, into that uncomfortable limbo of awakening to find you've been living a lie. Having watched twice now, I believe the experiential nature of this film, the 'sitting-in-discomfort' so needed in current times, along with Skye's fresh take on a lesser-known, classic sci-fi incarnation is what won River 30+ awards.
Any student of film or lover of European cinema will recognize the unnerving vibration of early Tony Scott in Emily's production, calling to mind Scott's 1983 'The Hunger' starring David Bowie, Catherine Deneuve, and Susan Sarandon. Though Scott had a decade producing big budget commercials and MGM studios and coin behind him for directing 'The Hunger' (which was first panned, then lauded), Emily Skye, gets close with this bare-bones, truly indie debut.
In River, we will follow Mary's ethereal acting anywhere as lost girl River and float with her on Rona Castrioti's portentious score, supported by a talented cast of: Courtney Gaines as Dr. Glenn, Alexandra Rose as Amanda, Rob Marshall as Jaime, and Becki Hayes as Lois. The intimate performance direction and quality acting talent rise up together with the score and visuals holding us in River's distrust and suspended animation of disorienting anxiety. Ripe for the times, River's ill-fated quest for normalcy is coolly wrapped in the origin story of a non-standard earthling.
If I had one critique for the filmmakers, it's that the quality of the visual story-telling was so strong as to render the internal-monologue voice over completely unnecessary, which then allows her mother's 'voice' greater showcase, but that's a knit pick. Skye got it all on the screen sans explanation, a skill uncommon to 1st timers. Would love to see a more confident cut omitting that bit of telling to let the showing stand on its own.
Societally, and personally, we've all been lied to by those we most trusted and lied to ourselves as a mask for trauma, fear, or shame and rarely known where or even how to start down the path of rediscovery. And if you've never been through the abject longing, aching, and insufferable desperation to crawl right out of your skin, well, it's nearly impossible to convey to others, and that's what makes River a genre-bending, neuvo-retro sci-fi, making it okay for us to sit inside the suffering.
Skye captured invisible, subdermal angst and slides you into that pupa for gestation. When the lights come up, exit the chrysalis, and spread your wings.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
01/12/23
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Audience Member
I'd rather eat shit than watching this
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
02/27/23
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Audience Member
OMG my Mary is an amazing actress and she did an amazing job in this movie! She could've warned me though to get my tissues out lol! I love you so much Mary and congrats on the movie😘🥰
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/09/23
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