Waves - A Fascinatingly Conflicting Film
Film No.9 From Leeds International Film Festival
I am somewhat conflicted by this film and have struggled to put my thoughts into words about 'Waves'. It is a visceral emotional experience, utilising highly upsetting and ambitious emotional storytelling to an extremely effective level, Trey Edward Shults creates a film that can leave you feeling exhausted and defeated at times as well as inducing insane levels of anxiety and misery that it isn't an enjoyable experience at all. The biggest thing that makes me go back and forth about this film is how it feels somewhat misguided and unauthentic at times. Shults has come under a lot of fire for telling a predominantly African American story through the eyes of a white filmmaker, which is a valid criticism but doesn't affect the film itself. I think the story remains as effective if it is a bit misguided and appropriated, but of course Shults' process is his own and this isn't a matter I have any authority to discuss. The other conflicting matter is how the film almost feels like a parody of the 'A24 Indie-Blockbuster' with its artistic choices but that comes completely from perspective and familiarity with the genre.
By far the highlight of the film is a confident and mature narrative that develops from predictable to something much more captivating. The first half feels somewhat predictable and soap-opera-like but then the film matures into something much more subtle and meditative when dealing with its tough subject matter. Shults doesn't reinvent the subject matter he demonstrates but he treats it with care and attention, the first half of the film is so intense and so anxiety-inducing it is exhausting. He does a great job at making these characters feel authentic and sympathetic, they are all incredibly varied and the motives make total sense which the film really needed. He opens up the discussion of his narrative by creating genuine complicated human beings at the forefront and compels the audience to question preconceptions of these characters they may have. The film takes a massive shift towards the second half to an almost completely separate narrative, following the aftermath of the events of the first half by focusing on almost exclusively one character. This is the part of the film that really excels above anything else, Shults takes a much more ambiguous and slower approach to explore these characters. It is brimming full of character and interesting social themes and issues, taking an exploration of social media, friendship and coming of age all at once in a beautiful narrative that is nothing short of fascinating. The predictability of the first half makes senses in order to indulge in the second half's much slower methodical narrative that subverts a lot of the expectations built up.
Shults walks a dangerous line by creating a narrative of two halves as it makes it difficult to really connect with the first half and it's admittedly down the centre narrative. Because of this, the film attempts a lot of interesting artistic choices that can be more than inconsistent. Throughout the film, Shults plays with the film's aspect ratio, at times this really elevates the tension or punctuates certain moments but occasionally I don't really understand the reason behind it and it becomes a bit distracting. It is so frustrating because using experimental techniques like this often gets criticised for being vapid and pretentious when it can actually be poignant and impactful and within the same film, Shults manages to do both. The highlight of the artistic elements of 'Waves' is it's beyond gorgeous cinematography and colour grading, this film looks insanely beautiful at times with such precise manipulation of the camera. The colour palette is so interesting to track, the setting feels so vibrant and hypersensitive that it becomes hypnotic, the sea is mesmerising, the light of a party becomes overwhelming and the sun illuminates the scene with such exquisite style. I think this is why the film occasionally feels like an 'A24 Parody' due to the film using very precise 'auteur archetypes' in a somewhat predictable manner. I don't think that necessarily is a bad thing, people have become desensitised to artistic styles yet I think Shults deserves to be congratulated on the intense amount of effort that has gone into the technical elements even if they feel a tad bit familiar.
'Waves' is full of a collection of really excellent actors, alongside some not so great performances. The performances make this film even more conflicting as some of the actors are incredible and others seem bored and tired on occasion. The highlights are the film's two main focal characters Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Tyler and Taylor Russel as Emily, the siblings at the forefront of the narrative. Harrison Jr. has the challenge of playing a character who has his arc laid out for him, he has to add a layer of complexity through his performance that the script doesn't necessarily give him. Russel's character Emily is by far the film's greatest strength and one of my favourite characters of the year. She is so endearingly empathetic yet undeniably flawed, her wit and humanity are contrasted with coming of age frustration and shyness making her a truly beautiful character to witness grow. In many ways, it becomes her film and Russel brings so much to this character by making her feel like a genuine sympathetic human being matching the film's devotion to replicating tactile emotions through its visual design. Sterling K. Brown is an actor that I have a lot of respect for and here his role as the father, although occasionally annoyingly archetypal, is brimming with heart and emotion. Brown evokes fear, respect, anger and empathy for this character sometimes within the same scene which is truly fascinating to watch. I did feel the supporting cast felt frustratingly weak for what the film was trying to accomplish. These stellar performances at the heart of the film were at conflict with some really one-note and distractingly uninteresting characters surrounding them, its a real shame at times because it makes these scenes feel a bit soap opera when they are so much more.
'Waves' is a film I have a lot of appreciation for and think it is definitely unmissable. Shults battles the odds and it is a really interesting film to discuss and explore. Considering the film's divisive critical reception I think this film suffers a lot from the climate it has been released into, with several aspects I didn't enjoy falling under the simple banner of 'I have seen it done better before'. It has a lot of amazing points of merit and there is a really special film here I just wish that audiences hadn't been so desensitized to what Shults is exploring and using. I also think there is a lot here hidden in the film's undertones that is actually really special and unique and I really enjoy those aspects. 'Waves' is a really captivating and interesting film that I would strongly recommend to give a chance.
Thanks For Reading! Sorry for taking some time off, it was Christmas after all. But I am back and I'm going to finish these film festival reviews before doing my rundown of the year!
Film No.9 From Leeds International Film Festival
I am somewhat conflicted by this film and have struggled to put my thoughts into words about 'Waves'. It is a visceral emotional experience, utilising highly upsetting and ambitious emotional storytelling to an extremely effective level, Trey Edward Shults creates a film that can leave you feeling exhausted and defeated at times as well as inducing insane levels of anxiety and misery that it isn't an enjoyable experience at all. The biggest thing that makes me go back and forth about this film is how it feels somewhat misguided and unauthentic at times. Shults has come under a lot of fire for telling a predominantly African American story through the eyes of a white filmmaker, which is a valid criticism but doesn't affect the film itself. I think the story remains as effective if it is a bit misguided and appropriated, but of course Shults' process is his own and this isn't a matter I have any authority to discuss. The other conflicting matter is how the film almost feels like a parody of the 'A24 Indie-Blockbuster' with its artistic choices but that comes completely from perspective and familiarity with the genre.
By far the highlight of the film is a confident and mature narrative that develops from predictable to something much more captivating. The first half feels somewhat predictable and soap-opera-like but then the film matures into something much more subtle and meditative when dealing with its tough subject matter. Shults doesn't reinvent the subject matter he demonstrates but he treats it with care and attention, the first half of the film is so intense and so anxiety-inducing it is exhausting. He does a great job at making these characters feel authentic and sympathetic, they are all incredibly varied and the motives make total sense which the film really needed. He opens up the discussion of his narrative by creating genuine complicated human beings at the forefront and compels the audience to question preconceptions of these characters they may have. The film takes a massive shift towards the second half to an almost completely separate narrative, following the aftermath of the events of the first half by focusing on almost exclusively one character. This is the part of the film that really excels above anything else, Shults takes a much more ambiguous and slower approach to explore these characters. It is brimming full of character and interesting social themes and issues, taking an exploration of social media, friendship and coming of age all at once in a beautiful narrative that is nothing short of fascinating. The predictability of the first half makes senses in order to indulge in the second half's much slower methodical narrative that subverts a lot of the expectations built up.
Shults walks a dangerous line by creating a narrative of two halves as it makes it difficult to really connect with the first half and it's admittedly down the centre narrative. Because of this, the film attempts a lot of interesting artistic choices that can be more than inconsistent. Throughout the film, Shults plays with the film's aspect ratio, at times this really elevates the tension or punctuates certain moments but occasionally I don't really understand the reason behind it and it becomes a bit distracting. It is so frustrating because using experimental techniques like this often gets criticised for being vapid and pretentious when it can actually be poignant and impactful and within the same film, Shults manages to do both. The highlight of the artistic elements of 'Waves' is it's beyond gorgeous cinematography and colour grading, this film looks insanely beautiful at times with such precise manipulation of the camera. The colour palette is so interesting to track, the setting feels so vibrant and hypersensitive that it becomes hypnotic, the sea is mesmerising, the light of a party becomes overwhelming and the sun illuminates the scene with such exquisite style. I think this is why the film occasionally feels like an 'A24 Parody' due to the film using very precise 'auteur archetypes' in a somewhat predictable manner. I don't think that necessarily is a bad thing, people have become desensitised to artistic styles yet I think Shults deserves to be congratulated on the intense amount of effort that has gone into the technical elements even if they feel a tad bit familiar.
'Waves' is full of a collection of really excellent actors, alongside some not so great performances. The performances make this film even more conflicting as some of the actors are incredible and others seem bored and tired on occasion. The highlights are the film's two main focal characters Kelvin Harrison Jr. as Tyler and Taylor Russel as Emily, the siblings at the forefront of the narrative. Harrison Jr. has the challenge of playing a character who has his arc laid out for him, he has to add a layer of complexity through his performance that the script doesn't necessarily give him. Russel's character Emily is by far the film's greatest strength and one of my favourite characters of the year. She is so endearingly empathetic yet undeniably flawed, her wit and humanity are contrasted with coming of age frustration and shyness making her a truly beautiful character to witness grow. In many ways, it becomes her film and Russel brings so much to this character by making her feel like a genuine sympathetic human being matching the film's devotion to replicating tactile emotions through its visual design. Sterling K. Brown is an actor that I have a lot of respect for and here his role as the father, although occasionally annoyingly archetypal, is brimming with heart and emotion. Brown evokes fear, respect, anger and empathy for this character sometimes within the same scene which is truly fascinating to watch. I did feel the supporting cast felt frustratingly weak for what the film was trying to accomplish. These stellar performances at the heart of the film were at conflict with some really one-note and distractingly uninteresting characters surrounding them, its a real shame at times because it makes these scenes feel a bit soap opera when they are so much more.
'Waves' is a film I have a lot of appreciation for and think it is definitely unmissable. Shults battles the odds and it is a really interesting film to discuss and explore. Considering the film's divisive critical reception I think this film suffers a lot from the climate it has been released into, with several aspects I didn't enjoy falling under the simple banner of 'I have seen it done better before'. It has a lot of amazing points of merit and there is a really special film here I just wish that audiences hadn't been so desensitized to what Shults is exploring and using. I also think there is a lot here hidden in the film's undertones that is actually really special and unique and I really enjoy those aspects. 'Waves' is a really captivating and interesting film that I would strongly recommend to give a chance.
Thanks For Reading! Sorry for taking some time off, it was Christmas after all. But I am back and I'm going to finish these film festival reviews before doing my rundown of the year!