Sun Don't Shine

source: Sun Don't Shine

one of the things that keeps the independent filmmaking scene respectable is the fact that someone can take an idea and put it directly onto the screen. there's little to no outside influence dictating the story and ideas someone wants to share with other people. Amy Seimetz's Sun Don't Shine truly feels like that type of film. for me personally, i enjoy watching movies from time to time that don't necessarily follow the standard in the film storytelling equation: dilemma- turns to solution- turns to ending. this is the kind of story where you don't really have any idea how it's going to end up. in fact, you don't really want it to precisely end in any certain way. leaving you still thinking about the story continuing after the physical film is over. it reminds me of overhearing a conversation between strangers passing you on the street. you missed the setup of what's going on, but you happen to catch the peak of the story where things go terribly wrong for people you will never know. you hear just enough of certain details that sets your mind wondering what the before and after could have been. eventually finding yourself mapping out your own scenario(s). it doesn't matter if they're good or bad, that brief moment sticks with you long afterward. i thought Sun Don't Shine was fantastic. it's not something i would run to everyone i know and tell them to stop what they're doing and watch this movie. typically, movies that appeal to the masses are the ones that have less of a personal feel to them. this is something that would appeal to people who enjoy a glimpse of how things are for strangers regardless of familiarity to the story. and it's that type of freedom in independent filmmaking that always makes for a good movie.

I say Wow because this was a truly interesting, truly different type of debut. For anyone else, it would've been surprising, but because I've seen Amy Seimetz as an actress and the type of films she gravitates towards, I knew this wouldn't be your typical run of the mill debut indie flick. It really is psychologically complex, maybe a little too much seeing as how at times it did threaten to overwhelm. There aren't many "thrilling" things happening, but in terms of the emotion boiling to the surface, it's hard to look away from the two leads, especially the female. This is in many ways "Antichrist-lite" and for those who've seen Von Trier's film will know that means the actors need to go to some dark places. Truly really good debut from Seimetz

Unfortunately, without subtitles, I was at times a little lost and had to look up in a review who actually killed Greg (referred to as Dead Man here on IMDb)... Finding out (or not) doesn't change all too much for this film though, in which the sun, in spite of its title, hardly ever stops shining - still, darkness lurks... There are lots of beautifully shot scenes, although I did at times wish Seimetz had put in some static shots for balance. Soundtrack-wise, it is quite fascinating, too. The more dreamy parts make the reference to 'Badlands' (Malick) I read about elsewhere, spot on. But there are also much darker tones, that set in straight from the start and then recur regularly - as this is not just a deeply romantic story, but it is also very much touching on paranoia, sex and death. But a violent climax, which I expected for a while (ever since that bloody dream), did not arrive. In itself, not a problem. A problem I díd have with 'Sun...' is the writing. About some logics, for instance: why are they so actively paranoid about the police all the time if they are still in the process of covering up their crime? And then there are lots of interactions that didn't really win me over, a good example of which is the silly story of Crystal when they're in a bar. And I wouldn't blame it on the acting, mind you, which I enjoyed quite a bit - mostly by Lyn Sheil, whose looks reminded me again (after 'Silver Bullets') of a young Meryl Streep. (A big) 6 out of 10, which couldashoulda been a lot more. Still looking very much forward to more by Seimetz (and Lyn Sheil).

Trailer—Sun Don't Shine

Sun Don't Shine