Drift, 2024.
Directed by Anthony Chen.
Starring Cynthia Erivo, Alia Shawkat, Ibrahima Ba, Honor Swinton Byrne, Zainab Jah, Suzy Bemba, Vincent Vermignon, Abigail Boyd, Amanda Drew, Luca Calvani, Dorotea Mercuri, and Jonathan Rhodes.
SYNOPSIS:
Jacqueline escapes her war-torn country to a Greek island. She meets an unmoored tour guide, and the two become close as they find hope in the other.
A quiet and nuanced film, co-writer/director Anthony Chen’s Drift (adapting Alexander Maksik’s A Marker to Measure Drift alongside screenwriter Susanne Farrell), the filmmakers get an achingly human, understated performance from Cynthia Erivo, who is not only a gifted talent but someone whose eyes can carry an entire narrative.
Wandering around a Greek island resort as a refugee, Jacqueline often finds herself sleeping near the coast and telling small lies, such as assuring a restaurant host that she is reserving a table for a large number of guests, hoping that she will be able to use the bathroom of the place (she is denied and told that it’s only for customers after they have paid.) She also attempts to bring in money through various odd jobs, such as offering foot massages by the beach.
As Jacqueline, Cynthia Erivo’s eyes are emotionally tired as if there is a humongous weight on her conscience. There is, as the occasional flashbacks show us more about her life with her partner (Honor Swinton Byrne) before returning home to West Africa’s Liberia, which is undergoing violent civil unrest. It is safe to say that something tragic here happened to her or her family and that it is still too fresh for Jacqueline’s mind to process. Again, there is the sense that the eyes are still living in whatever horrible moment brought her to Europe, where she assures everyone that she is fine and on vacation with her husband.
One of those individuals happens to be a tour guide, Callie (Alia Shawkat), who is willing to believe what Jacqueline says but also seems aware that something is off and is quick to provide company and assistance in any way she can. When the tourists are off exploring an area, the two generally sit down and talk, with Callie revealing more about her life. It would be inaccurate to say they get to know one another since Jacqueline remains dishonest, but there is inevitably a breakthrough and some healing.
Naturally, the photography and landmarks are visually pleasing and inviting, making for a stark contrast to this depressing European refugee experience at the center of the story. Unfortunately, some of the historical lectures Callie tells parallel some of what went on in Liberia, making the point that history is doomed to repeat itself continuously. It’s unsettling and heartbreaking once the full picture comes into play, something that is gradually revealed with sensitivity considering the dark material.
Apparently, due to the structure of the novel, this was always going to be a difficult novel to adapt, and while one does wish Drift found a little more time to explore the other character dynamics, such as Jacqueline and her London-based girlfriend or the family dynamic/politics her family in Liberia are a part of, the film does a stellar job at portraying how recent trauma lingers and how it affects someone to struggle accepting basic and emotional support.
Drift is an emotionally draining experience despite the minimalistic filmmaking approach that wisely saves revealing and depicting the traumatic incident until the third act; Cynthia Erivo superbly sells all of it. Even when the film is slightly slow and aimless, her performance stands out as something magnetic.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
