Dir.
Amy RedfordStarring:
Saffron Burrows,
Isaach De Bankole,
Paz de la HuertaGrade: BEvery day, in every corner of the world people are greeted with the news of their impending demise. How does one go about their life after being told you only have months to live?
Amy Redford, in her directorial debut, looks at this very question head on. "
The Guitar" has the feel of a silent or foreign film, but it is quintessentially a genuine American independent film – something rare these days. While the film is not without its imperfections, it features a magnificently nuanced, anchoring performance by
Saffron Burrows and a strong supporting cast. It is not common to walk out of a film about death with a big smile on one’s face; its message of unexpected hope is effective and inspiring.
The PlotThe film opens with Melody Wilder (Burrows) ambling around the crowded streets of New York City. In a daze, the film flashes back to earlier that day when she received a stark diagnosis from her doctor (
Janeane Garofalo). Melody has two months to live, at most. Redford holds the camera on Melody’s face as she receives the news. It is a frightening moment, and Burrows’ face maps out every possible emotion in a matter of seconds; from dismay to shock to terror. As if things could not possibly get worse, that same day she gets two more strikes: she’s fired from her office job and is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend in quick succession.
Melody, who appears not to have any friends or family, retreats from the world. She contemplates suicide, but at the most opportune moment, she fortuitously spots an ad for a loft by the Hudson River. After abandoning her apartment, she enters into a short lease for the loft. Once in the loft, Melody goes through a sort of re-birth and embarks on a journey where she collects every possible material thing you can find in a catalogue: Vera Wang mattresses, curtains, fabrics, towels, bathrobes, etc.
The idea of consumerism in the face of death is as intriguing as it is perplexing. The general arch in films or stories dealing with impending death find the protagonist going on a spiritual journey, reconnecting with people from the past, trying to right any past wrongs. But Melody, safe in her cocoon, is more interested in filling up her empty loft with as many possessions as possible: to acquire things is to be human.
Thankfully, two people enter into her world, both delivery persons. Mail delivery man Roscoe (De Bankole), and pizza delivery girl Cookie (de la Huerta) are attracted to the melancholy woman in the loft. Life keeps interjecting itself through Roscoe and Cookie, and soon Melody is able to connect on a human level again. The scenes featuring these interactions constitute the film’s strongest moments. They have a naturalistic, almost ad-libbed vibe that makes up for some of the script’s weaker spots.
Visually, the repeated images of the guitar Melody wanted since childhood is a powerful one. The guitar ends up being a dramatic symbol of the intersection between the material and the most human of things: music. Melody finds her voice through her guitar, and the music it makes. Her childhood's desire re-visited and fulfilled, we feel like she comes full circle.
Redford proves to be a reliable and promising director and she gets wonderful performances from her cast. It should be noted that New York itself is the overarching character in the film. Its complex beauty captured beautifully by Bobby Bukowski’s camera.
The PerformancesThe film features some very fine supporting performances. Isaach De Bankole is particularly effective as Roscoe. De Bankole played the best friend in last year’s
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. The sensitivity he brought to that role is put to good use in “The Guitar.” De la Huerta is funny and sensual and brings a sense of vulnerability to tough girl Cookie. I thoroughly enjoyed the little moments both characters were afforded apart from Melody – specifically Roscoe fidgeting with his wedding band in the elevator after meeting Melody or Cookie looking through the mail slot to see Melody playing her guitar.
But the film is Burrows’ and she rises up to her task admirably. Burrows is a woefully underrated actress. She has made some terrific films in the past, including “
The Loss of Sexual Innocence,” “
Miss Julie,” and most recently, “
The Bank Job.” She is in practically every scene of the film and has limited dialogue. At times, hers felt like a silent film performance. I’m glad to see a very capable actress fulfilling her promise so stunningly.
OverallThe film’s well-intentioned message and ending is sure to polarize viewers – not me. My main issue with the film has to do with the screenplay: Melody’s isolation from the world is not fully explained, apart from some flashback scenes involving her self-absorbed parents. Further, the message of consumerism in the face of death could have been better developed, and not simply boiled down to a series of catalogue purchases.
Finally, I felt that the tone of the film suffered from the tension between a strong female director’s vision and the very male gaze that permeates the script. Having said that, I’m looking forward to Redford’s next film – hopefully she will write it as well.
Post-Script: To my utter surprise, Saffron Burrows, Amy Redford, screenwriter Amos Poe, and cinematographer Bobby Bukowski were in attendance at the showing I attended last night and stayed for a Q&A after the film ended. The group stuck around for more than half an hour answering pretty complex questions with charm and grace—that is apart from a downright inappropriate answer by the screenwriter, which I won’t even repeat here. I actually gathered the nerve to ask Amy Redford a question, specifically whether she had pulled a Hitchcock cameo in the film, which she confirmed. Overall, we saw a team of people who are incredibly proud of their final product and who worked hard to get this film and its message to the screen.
On a personal note, I’ve been a fan of Saffron Burrows for ten years now, so it was incredibly surreal to see her in person. All I could get out in the end was an ineloquent “huge fan” as we were exiting the theater because I was too nervous. But she was very sweet and gracious to not just me but to everyone who swarmed around her after the Q&A. It was also a kick to walk out of the theater and see the shocked faces of the people coming in to see the next showing when they saw Burrows in the flesh. Poor, poor quality "guerilla" photo from the Q&A (I only had my phone camera):
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