Thou Wast Mild and Lovely (2014)

Strong and Moving!

Pretty Good

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This isn't to say its an wonderful movie nor a waste piece of cinema which I don't believe it is, but somewhat it has such a discrete and breaking new ground sense of style that makes it stand apart. The style will surely scrape together comparisons to Terrence Malick way of filmmaking. Molly Herron and Jeff Young's haunting string-based score is another memorable plus in the film's favour, with the combination of the music and Ashley Connor's cinematography has the camera wandering from one place to another, change over perspectives and evokes bacchanal sense. Coming to the story, it takes place on a farm where Jeremiah (Robert Longstreet) and his teenage daughter Sarah (Sophie Traub) a child of nature nymph, albeit a warped one, have hired Akin (Joe Swanberg), to help out for Summer. What follows next forms the decisive point of the movie, the exact details of which shall remain unspoiled here. The film seems to be split in 2 segment. First half focuses on setting up the atmosphere, wherein the 2nd half is driven toward the plot.Pros - 1. Runtime of just decent 94 Minutes. 2. 1st half of the Film. 3. Cinematography 4. Molly Herron and Jeff Young's Music.Cons - 1. Movie lacks subtlety. I can say this could be the sole reason for the 7 rating.Overall, Decker's experimentation of sexual tension in its dreadful form is as open to more interpretation and exciting terror.

So, I just watched this movie at the Literatur Festival in Berlin. Josephine Decker was there, to and she seems like a nice person so I am sorry I think her movie kind of (not totally) sucks. She calls herself a feminist and the movie was screened under a "About the status of feminism" focus at the festival so I guess I was expecting something different and smarter. In her defense: I couldn't stay for the discussion after the screening, I would have loved to ask some questions or tell her myself what I thought of the movie, so maybe I missed the big explanation why this film indeed could be read as feminist. The film should have a trigger warning, if not generally than maybe next time she presents the movie, she should at issue a trigger warning herself. The level of sexual and physical violence is over the top and not explained or necessary. I tend to like violent movies but I differ explained or somewhat logical violence in movies and exploitative violent movies, this one felt pretty exploitive. The sexual violence is pretty disgusting and shown in an affirmative way. Also, to be compared to David Lynch takes more than copying his sound-stage and usage of images.

Josephine Decker has created a new style of thriller that employs allegory, incorporates touches of David Lynch as well as Magritte -esque imagery. Decker's setting of a remote farm feels like a metaphor for what turns out to be hell. The raw and emotional (and yes, sometimes funny) dialog tells a story that can seem familiar at points but really is meant to keep you guessing and off balance.I really enjoyed how the undertones of this film came to life through her very deft contrast of the innocent with the grotesque. Her use of camera angles and focus creates an interesting symbolic and literal dialog of it's own - and evoked unexpected emotions for this viewer. This is a captivating film.So if you are up for a cinematic adventure (more like a roller coaster) like no other, that doesn't disappoint -- this is a film to see.