Greetings again from the darkness. The first feature film from writer-director Julie Pacino (daughter of screen legend Al Pacino) is a whirlwind of creativity that is not likely one for the masses. The film has a surreal, dreamlike style that disorients us through the use of color and imagery. In fact, the hazy symbolism is well done and speaks to the ongoing effects of childhood trauma.
Rose (played by Lucy Fry, who was Marina Oswald in the 2016 limited series “11.22.83”) is on the verge of an acting career breakthrough when she finds out she’s pregnant. Her charming boyfriend Travis (comedian Matt Rife) ghosts her and runs to mommy (Sheryl Lee, Laura Palmer from the Twin Peaks franchise). Overprotective Mommy is also ultra-rich and insists on control of all decisions regarding Travis, Rose, and the unborn child. A woman’s agency over her body is a key element in this story, and it’s multi-layered throughout Rose’s life – as evidenced by the flashbacks to her youth, and the ongoing self-inflicted cuts and burns.
A good-for-one-thing manchild boyfriend is bad enough, but having decisions dictated by his mother is a bit too much for Rose. Intent on making the next audition set up by her agent (Cara Seymour, “The Knick”), Rose checks in to the Crown Inn, one of the most bizarre hotels you’ll likely ever see. Assigned to “The Lovin’ Oven” room, Rose is instructed when to take the magic pill. Memories and emotional distortion abound here, thanks in no small part to the flashbacks and the odd actions of fellow guest Lillian (Madeline Brewer, “The Handmaid’s Tale”).
As we’ve learned through many films and stories, the past must be confronted if one is to move forward. Filmmaker Julie Pacino presents past trauma, pain, mommy issues, and psychological warfare through surreal images highlighted by mesmerizing and disorienting colors … at times it plays like a horror film. While It’s certainly no bed of roses, the film is a creative look at how one woman deals with life is a welcome and necessary approach.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 