Strange But True (film)

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Movie
Original title Strange But True
Country of production Canada
original language English
Publishing year 2019
length 95 minutes
Rod
Director Rowan Athale
script Eric Garcia
production Fred Berger ,
Brian Kavanaugh-Jones ,
Christina Piovesan
music Neil Athale
camera Stuart Bentley
cut Kim Gaster
occupation

Strange But True is a noir thriller directed by Rowan Athale , which premiered on June 22, 2019 at the Edinburgh International Film Festival .

action

Five years after the tragic death of her high school boyfriend Ronnie Chase, a young woman stands on the family's doorstep to tell them that she is miraculously pregnant with his child. Ronnie's mother Charlene accuses Melissa of cheating and sends her away. Although Ronnie's brother Philip is still shaken by his death, Melissa's claim made him so curious that he carried out further investigations into whether frozen sperm or occult rituals could explain the pregnancy. Melissa presented them with a recorded session with a clairvoyant who prophesied that Ronnie would live on in an unborn child.

The situation worsens when Charlene contacts her ex-husband Richard, a hospital doctor on duty the night Ronnie died. Richard has since built a new life in Florida with his younger second wife. Charlene is shocked to discover that he has been in secret contact with Melissa. The friendly elderly couple, who Melissa essentially adopted as surrogate daughters, retired cop Bill and his wife Gail, also seem to be hiding a secret.

production

The film is based on a novel by John Searles from 2002. This was adapted for the film by Eric Garcia . Directed by the British director Rowan Athale . After The Rise from 2012, this is his second feature film. He cast the roles predominantly with American actors. Margaret Qualley plays the heavily pregnant Melissa, Connor Jessup took on the role of the late Ronnie Chase, and Nick Robinson plays his older brother Philip. Amy Ryan plays their mother Charlene, Greg Kinnear their father Richard, who has found a new wife with whom he leads a life since the death of his younger son.

The film was shown for the first time at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on June 22, 2019 , and was released in US cinemas on September 6, 2019.

reception

Stephen Dalton describes Strange But True in The Hollywood Reporter as an atmospheric thriller with a nostalgic undertone and a strong visual style. Although the twisted plot will test the patience of the audience in some places, the entire package is nicely worked out. The film unfolds like a striptease in slow motion and ensures constant tension with fragmentary flashbacks and revelations that gradually fill in the bizarre background story behind Melissa's flawless conception. The tension-laden setup is rich in clues that point to religious cults and supernatural phenomena, but the truth is disappointingly prosaic and falls back on wild crime tropes that increase credibility, according to Dalton. While this weakens the film, it is not fatal. Regardless of the plausibility of the phrases, Strange But True offers finely worked out representations across the board, especially from the older actors, such as the role of the diva by Amy Ryan . Despite a lack of experience, director Rowan Athale staged Eric Garcia's script in an impressive visual style and strong control of the mood.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Stephen Dalton: 'Strange But True': Film Review | Edinburgh 2019. In: The Hollywood Reporter. June 28, 2019, accessed September 10, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Wendy Ide: Strange But True: Edinburgh Review. In: Screen Daily. June 23, 2019, accessed on September 11, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Program of the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2019 . Accessed July 2, 2019 (PDF; 83.8 MB)