As a seasoned cinephile with a soft spot for offbeat, genre-bending films, I find myself utterly smitten by “Sew Torn.” Having spent my formative years in the Swiss Alps myself, I can’t help but feel a peculiar kinship with the film’s fantastical yet familiar setting. The blend of small-town hijinks, neo-noir tension, and fruit-loop fantasy is an intoxicating cocktail that left me both thrilled and puzzled, much like the first time I tried Swiss wine.
In “Sew Torn,” an intriguing crime comedy, multiple distinct universes coexist, none of them resembling ours. This unique film juxtaposes firearms with tailoring, innocence against guilt, and gritty genre elements with whimsical fantasy. Despite borrowing its structure from Tom Tykwer’s influential 90s production “Run Lola Run,” which predates the birth of 24-year-old director Freddy Macdonald, this film is original enough to cultivate a dedicated fanbase. It offers a mix of small-town antics, dark neo-noir atmosphere, and clever humor, revolving around a protagonist reminiscent of MacGyver but with a sewing kit instead. Some viewers will appreciate the movie’s absurdity, while others might find it pushing the boundaries too far, but many will surely remember Macdonald’s name.
Visually striking yet arguably lacking depth, “Sew Torn” appears to be an expanded adaptation of Macdonald’s 2019 short of the same name. This promising debut, acquired by Searchlight Pictures, led to the filmmaker’s signing with UTA and made him the youngest director accepted into the AFI Conservatory. While the full-length version occasionally exhibits a student-like quality – Macdonald’s script, co-written with his father Fred, tends to be direct and repetitive in conveying its central themes – it showcases impressive technical skill and vibrant storytelling. Already well-regarded at SXSW in the spring, this Swiss-American collaboration had its international premiere in Locarno’s Piazza Grande program aimed at popular audiences. Independent distributors with a penchant for genre films will likely take notice.
“Ah, choices,” I utter softly in the opening scene, a phrase repeated throughout the film as events unfold and intertwine. This film seems to be a labyrinth where my actions lead me, and it invites you, the viewer, to ponder your own decisions alongside mine. You might question: “Am I supposed to feel sympathy for me or see this as immoral behavior?” However, before reaching that judgment, many other questions arise. For instance, why are we in a picturesque Swiss Alpine valley, yet no one appears to be Swiss, and everyone speaks English? (Perhaps Macdonald’s family moved there when he was young, offering some context.) What year is it specifically? What role does sewing play in this story? Is this movie based on reality?
Indeed, there’s a mix of affirmation and denial in this scenario. Despite Barbara’s serious and nurturing persona, she grapples deeply with her responsibilities. Having inherited her mother’s mobile seamstress business, she’s struggled to maintain it as per her mom’s last wish. However, faced with dwindling prospects, she’s on the verge of conceding defeat and shutting down. In this fictional rural Switzamerica, demand for Barbara’s unique service – cross-stitch “talking portraits” – is scarce.
The unexpected journey leads Barbara to discover an unattended accident and crime scene at a tranquil curve – two motorcyclists severely injured, a scattering of cocaine on the road, and a briefcase filled with cash nearby but out of reach for either biker. Faced with three choices – take the money, contact the police, or ignore it – Barbara chooses one in “Sew Torn”, depicting the consequences of each action. While the outcomes differ, they all draw her into encounters with a menacing gangster named Hudson (John Lynch) and a straightforward elderly sheriff, Ms. Engel (K Callan). Each situation leaves Barbara in a predicament that only her skilled sewing can help escape.
The extravagantly designed scenes in this movie are simultaneously its most ridiculous aspect and its main purpose. For instance, the protagonist, Barbara, weaves threads into intricate contraptions such as pulleys, restraints, and cat’s cradle traps. At a certain point, she navigates through a confounding labyrinth of cotton in a dizzyingly coordinated fight scene, accompanied by the classic Betty Hutton tune “The Sewing Machine.”
In my perspective, “Sew Torn” uses the trappings of a thriller as a veil for an enhanced, whimsical dreamscape. The characters are so abstract that the life-or-death situations seem almost insignificant, yet Connolly manages to keep us engaged with Barbara’s unpredictable actions, even if we’re left questioning their implausible moral ramifications. With Sebastian Klinger’s vibrant, primary-colored cinematography and Viviane Rapp’s comfortable, time-blending production design, “Sew Torn” creates a sort of adult playground where reality can be casually reshaped, torn apart, and pieced back together again. If McDonald can use this carefree reimagining of reality to explore larger themes and more daring narrative outlines, he could very well become the next big name in the industry.
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2024-08-12 03:16