Is that all there is?
Approach this tale with lowered expectations
CLEMENTINE
1/2 out of 5
Cast: Otmara Marrero,
Sydney Sweeney
Director: Lara Gallagher
Duration: 1 h 30 m
Available on: Video on demand
Wispy and ill defined, this first feature from writer-director Lara Gallagher is an exploration of a young woman trying to get over a painful breakup. But it may have an unintended resonance in these quarantine times. The leafy scenery of the U.S. Pacific Northwest could have viewers hankering for more of the outdoors. So you may find it soothing or frustrating. It might even make you want to head into the wilderness yourself, government desires be damned.
But Clementine wasn’t conceived as pandemic viewing. Shot in Oregon and debuting at the Tribeca festival more than a year ago, it tells the simple story of Karen (Otmara Marrero), reeling from a breakup that included separation from her dog. Upset and clearly not thinking straight, she heads into the wilderness to the secluded lake house of her former lover.
Unable to find a key, she breaks in through a window. Then a short while later she notices a girl by the boathouse. Lana (Sydney Sweeney) is 19 but looks younger, declares herself an aspiring actress, and asks for help in locating a lost dog that Karen is half-certain doesn’t even exist. From this awkward introduction, the two young women gradually edge their way toward a relationship that neither is certain she wants to classify. Are they friends? Ersatz sisters? Something more?
Gallagher clearly doesn’t want to say too much, preferring silence both awkward and comfortable to take the place of too much exposition. But the results can be frustratingly opaque at times. For instance, just how old is Karen? She keeps cooing to Lana: “You’re so young.” She knows how record players work (which isn’t really a skill unique to the elderly any more), and talks of college days with a wistfulness that suggests a gap of many years.
The drama meanders along to a conclusion of sorts, after Lana reveals a troubling story to Karen, who obligingly blunders off in search of retribution on her behalf. It’s just enough plot to keep you from gritting your teeth in frustration, but not enough to stop you asking: “Is that all?”
But armed with this knowledge, you can enter Clementine’s coming-of-age dramatic world with appropriately lowered expectations. And at the very least, you can revel in the lush foliage and the waterfront views.