Let me be upfront: the editing is plainly overzealous, and the manipulation of audio, too. Even within the first 15 minutes these elements distract, and detract from the viewing experience - they are intended to heighten it, but instead come off as style over substance. To whatever extent the rapid sequencing in particular (flashing to other scenes) does add to the movie, I nonetheless think 'Always shine' would have notably benefited from a more subdued, straightforward approach. Yet from there it gets more thorny. I greatly enjoyed Lawrence Michael Levine's 2020 film 'Black bear,' with Aubrey Plaza, and I was pleased to see he wrote this; I'm less familiar with filmmaker Sophia Takal, but I trust she's capable. I'm a big fan of Mackenzie Davis; while I don't know Caitlin FitzGerald very well, I've liked what I've seen her in. Unfortunately, this is a bit of a mixed bag, and perhaps not the best representation of anyone's skill set.
Chief characters Anna (Davis) and Beth (FitzGerald) are concretely fleshed out; the differences between them are stark, very plainly setting up a conflict. I think both actors do a fine job of bringing their roles to life, demonstrating admirable range and nuance, with the material they're given. However, as it stands the writing is uneven. It can often be a welcome breath of fresh air when a movie takes its time to let the story develop at its own pace, and I think this is especially true of psychological thrillers. Might 'Always shine' be too deliberate in its pacing for its own good, though? A substantial portion of the length is devoted to establishing the chief characters and setting up the remainder, which is no problem in and of itself - only, here it feels like the picture goes nowhere fast for a little more than half its runtime. Even after the big turn comes, the filmmakers insist on the same embellishments of editing and sound that first earned my ire, which would have actually been appropriate only at the climax, and too much of the dialogue is less than inspiring.
I really get what Takal and Levine were going for here. There are wonderfully strong ideas in the screenplay. Major themes present surrounding the polar personalities of Anna and Beth, the dynamics of friendship, and the struggles of finding success in film and television. Small flourishes further touch upon the overwhelmingly masculine and patriarchal slant of the industry and of society at large; one could also reasonably read a meta commentary on the ways that our culture sets women and even young girl in opposition to each other. The dialogue maybe needed some revision, especially outside those scenes centering the primary characters; the scene writing could have used more polish too - but at its best, mostly in the latter half of the picture, I think it's pretty tight. The overall narrative is solid, with initially underhanded tack as a psychological thriller that becomes increasingly prominent.
To be perfectly clear, I do enjoy this. Davis and FitzGerald are fantastic, and I like what the filmmakers aimed to create. I also think the end result comes up short, however; 'Always shine' just doesn't quite make the grade - forgive me, but it "almost shines." I think what it comes down to is that this just rather lacks the delicate hand, the subtlety and finesse, that would have helped to take it to the next level. The first impression it makes isn't a good one, and while the value reveals itself over time, the last feeling I'm left with as credits roll is of being underwhelmed. I'm a little sad to even say that just because I do like the leads so much, and I believe this had great potential. I'd love to say I like it more than I do, but even as I sit here and reflect on it, the weaknesses spark my memory at least as much as the strengths. Ultimately, in my mind 'Always shine' is entertaining, and partly satisfying, and worth checking out. It's especially recommendable if you're a fan of someone involved, as was true for me. Just keep your expectations in check, however, because I also think 'Always shine' doesn't fully land on all its marks.
Chief characters Anna (Davis) and Beth (FitzGerald) are concretely fleshed out; the differences between them are stark, very plainly setting up a conflict. I think both actors do a fine job of bringing their roles to life, demonstrating admirable range and nuance, with the material they're given. However, as it stands the writing is uneven. It can often be a welcome breath of fresh air when a movie takes its time to let the story develop at its own pace, and I think this is especially true of psychological thrillers. Might 'Always shine' be too deliberate in its pacing for its own good, though? A substantial portion of the length is devoted to establishing the chief characters and setting up the remainder, which is no problem in and of itself - only, here it feels like the picture goes nowhere fast for a little more than half its runtime. Even after the big turn comes, the filmmakers insist on the same embellishments of editing and sound that first earned my ire, which would have actually been appropriate only at the climax, and too much of the dialogue is less than inspiring.
I really get what Takal and Levine were going for here. There are wonderfully strong ideas in the screenplay. Major themes present surrounding the polar personalities of Anna and Beth, the dynamics of friendship, and the struggles of finding success in film and television. Small flourishes further touch upon the overwhelmingly masculine and patriarchal slant of the industry and of society at large; one could also reasonably read a meta commentary on the ways that our culture sets women and even young girl in opposition to each other. The dialogue maybe needed some revision, especially outside those scenes centering the primary characters; the scene writing could have used more polish too - but at its best, mostly in the latter half of the picture, I think it's pretty tight. The overall narrative is solid, with initially underhanded tack as a psychological thriller that becomes increasingly prominent.
To be perfectly clear, I do enjoy this. Davis and FitzGerald are fantastic, and I like what the filmmakers aimed to create. I also think the end result comes up short, however; 'Always shine' just doesn't quite make the grade - forgive me, but it "almost shines." I think what it comes down to is that this just rather lacks the delicate hand, the subtlety and finesse, that would have helped to take it to the next level. The first impression it makes isn't a good one, and while the value reveals itself over time, the last feeling I'm left with as credits roll is of being underwhelmed. I'm a little sad to even say that just because I do like the leads so much, and I believe this had great potential. I'd love to say I like it more than I do, but even as I sit here and reflect on it, the weaknesses spark my memory at least as much as the strengths. Ultimately, in my mind 'Always shine' is entertaining, and partly satisfying, and worth checking out. It's especially recommendable if you're a fan of someone involved, as was true for me. Just keep your expectations in check, however, because I also think 'Always shine' doesn't fully land on all its marks.