Woodshock, 2017.
Written and Directed by Kate and Laura Mulleavy
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Joe Cole, Jack Kilmer, Susan Traylor, and Pilou Asbæk
SYNOPSIS:
A woman falls deeper into paranoia after taking a deadly drug.
Woodshock is an exercise in sensory filmmaking that rarely stimulates the mind, rendering it quite the boring view. There is certainly talent behind the film’s pair of directors, sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy (not only are they renowned fashion designers, the siblings also have experience in the cinematic world from handling the costume design on Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan), but they seem unaware of how to generate emotion out of usually compelling circumstances such as grieving and suicide. Also acting as writers on the project, there isn’t much dialogue at all; it’s actually so scarce that it can be difficult to pinpoint how primary characters even relate to one another.
The film is centered on the depressed Theresa (Kirsten Dunst) in the wake of aiding her mother in assisted suicide (she seems to be in a great deal of pain, and intriguingly resembles Kirsten Dunst to an uncanny degree) by slipping something inside medicinal marijuana. Fascinatingly, this is something the cannabis dispensary she works at specializes in, as an old man wanders in seeking to purchase the literal deadly combination of strange liquid and drugs. Except, Woodshock isn’t really committed to exploring assisted suicide at all, or any major theme. That’s a bummer, as entering the headspace of these minor characters could have been captivating, watching, for example, an elderly man at peace with his life yet wanting to end his misery quickly and most importantly, pain-free
Instead, much of the film is watching Theresa slowly consume the drug over days as an act of guilt for an accidental mistake at her job. This is where the fashion designers are given all the opportunity in the world to liven up the experience, filling it with bright color palettes, sometimes by overlaying different designs of glistening hues on objects Theresa is interacting with. Effective color schemes are representative evident to hallucinogenic drug trips (one standout visual season autumn leaves randomly appearing in a bathtub filled with water) to the outfits of Theresa and environments themselves (the characters live surrounded by a forest, where Theresa apparently once suffered extreme trauma), but it all rings hollow. Luscious avant-garde cinematography can’t hide a vapid narrative, even though Woodshock has a number of strikingly vibrant shot compositions.
Periodically, the film finds something catching and trippy for our protagonist to do while under the influence, like a possible sleepwalking sequence where she decides to head out the house and chop down large amounts of wood, but the rest of it is a bunch of spectacularly boring and mundane actions around her abode that cause the mind to drift. By the time Woodshock actually goes somewhere with its threadbare narrative it’s basically over. Throughout the film are hints at brewing conflicts between her boyfriend and manager, but character work takes a complete backseat here in favor of visual splendor. That’s awesome that Theresa is floating in the middle of the forest, but it appears to be deprived of anything meaningful.
Easily what’s most surprising is that, at its core, Woodshock is a movie about loss and the touchy subject of assisted suicide, yet is sleep-inducing. There is no point in tackling material that sensitive if it isn’t going to present a stance or strong statement. Having previously worked on Black Swan, it definitely makes sense why the directorial duo of sisters went this moody, dreamlike route, but they don’t yet have the necessary storytelling skills to make it all come together and function as a thought-provoking piece of art. Visuals should always service the story, which is why Tom Ford (another fashion designer turned director) has found success, and that’s the lesson that the Mulleavy’s should take away from their misfire of a feature debut.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published September 25, 2017. Updated April 11, 2018.
