Sometimes I Think About Dying

source: Sometimes I Think About Dying

I can understand that it is a character study, but this has the feel of an indie film and most of it is filled with awkward pauses and feeble attempts at humor. The first 25 minutes were an elongated introduction, but even so I failed to recognize what the story was. I ended up turning this off at the one hour mark. As for the character who plays Robert, the love interest, he's not compelling enough to help bring a positive light to this film's murky atmosphere. The music was actually pretty upbeat considering how depressing the main character's life is. Other than that there's not much to praise.

The energy of this film is in its stillness. Sparse dialogue. No driving, linear narrative. The camera is perpetually stationary. Almost nothing is loud or abrupt. But it hums restlessly with quiet anxiety. Your attention is never commanded, but your interest is rewarded. Fran is the subject of your observation, and she is in everything subtle and restrained. Every modulation of body language, shade of facial expression, and placement of gaze dispenses information. You are with her constantly and quickly become intimate. You consider her, wonder at her. You empathize with her; you're confused by her. You don't have to understand her. You simply see what she sees and feel what she feels. You are there when she is tense and afraid, when she allows herself to smile, when she indulges her desire and when she represses it. She's a particularly vulnerable human, and you are there in the midst of all of it. This film and its protagonist are beautifully small, shy, and fragile, and watching it is compelling if you can feel the weight of responsibility that comes with so intimately witnessing a person in their intense vulnerability. Sometimes I Think About Dying feels precious in its plain honesty and total vulnerability. It's not a story, just a person.

If they developed it a bit more. A lot more, actually. It feels like a short movie's being stretched to a full length feature. First 30 minutes is basically an intro and you can easily cut it down to 10. Then we get a glimpse of what could have been cause Daisy is great, Dave is great and together they're great. Unfortunately they're just not getting enough screen time. Instead we're getting tons of random shots of city, nature and everything in between. And then after all that the director just dumps the ending and the message. Cause it was time to wrap the movie up, I guess. It also filmed in that terrible modern "indie" style with 1.33:1 ratio and percussion soundtrack that just sucks any resemblance of life out of the picture. The result is dull and lifeless. What a shame.

In bleak but interesting drama "Sometimes I Think About Dying" drab Daisy Ridley lives in a drab Oregon coastal town, working a drab office job. Her acute social awkwardness effectively stifles her existence, til a bond (of sorts) with outgoing new colleague Dave Merheje seems to have the potential to save her... but does it? Its dreary reality certainly won't be for all (adrenaline junkies beware) but Ridley is superb with some solid, understated support (inc Merheje, Marcia DeBonis, Megan Stalter & Parvesh Cheenah), the three person writing team nailed it, and director Rachel Lambert delivers with perfect tone. For those into bleak, drab and dreary art... this is a little beauty.

The cold blue shades of the movie will be throughout the entire timeline. The plot will not surprise you with its unusualness, but the themes and emotions it touches upon are more important. If you are close to such themes as loneliness, lack of love, loss of interest in life and small victories that help you move forward - this movie is for you. The slow, measured tone of the narrative may put you off if you are looking for a more dynamic movie. Daisy is beautiful. The filming is peerless, almost the entire movie can be sliced into into beautiful frames. Bottom line: if you're like me, a melancholic, dreamer, and lover of small, sincere indie movies - don't miss it.

As much as I loved the style in which director Rachel Lambert explored a few weeks in the largely uneventful (but..eventful too.. sort of?) life of a socially awkward isolation-enjoyer, what spoke to me is her sense of visual aesthetics. The port city of Astoria, Orgeon is a distinct character within the film, and its laidback stillness is something I grew to like. Several frames delineate the notion, and I think they sublimely complimented the life that Fran (Daisy Ridley) lives. She enjoys her work, but loves running away from the small talk that the office brings. She awkwardly exits office gatherings, including one where a longtime colleague of hers is retiring. There's greater meaning to most of these little moments, but not everything has a meaty payoff. The film's delicate pacing is, at times, broken through banter between Fran and her new colleague Robert (Dave Merheje), as well as through sudden transitions where she ponders over death (..her death, i.e.). This is the most I've enjoyed a Daisy Ridley performance in years, and it speaks volumes when an actor can convey the right emotions through subtle changes in body language. Fran isn't much of a talker per se, but when she does, she's also less curious. She slowly grows to love movies and being around people, thanks to Robert's interventions. I like how the film addresses the issue of Robert being unable to fully comprehend Fran as a person. There are layers to her than even we (..as audiences..) cannot fully peel off. We know next-to-nothing about her family, and the circumstances in which she grew up. We know she ain't suicidal, but she doesn't seem to relish life all that much either. Actually, a lot of unsaid elements contribute to further, deeper readings of Fran's demeanor. Her depressing thoughts on death aside, there's one moving scene towards the end where she randomly encounters the retired ex-colleague and learns how life is so unpredictable and difficult, underneath all the "plaster" that we add to it. I got to know that the film is based on a 2013 play called Killers, and it, sure as hell, makes for splendid material on the stage. I'm glad though, that Lambert decided to make it into a film, as mundanity of life is something that's less discussed in the world of cinema. Dabney Morris' score adds to the understated nature of its proceedings, making the experience even better.

Based on the play "Killers" by Armento, and the 2019 short film of the same name, this film is about isolation, and the adverse effects that prolonged loneliness may have on someone. Fran, played by famed English actress Daisy Ridley, is our vehicle through the every day life of a young woman commanded by isolation and entrenched with dark thoughts. We observe Fran's world as she exists within it - as a figurative ghost, somberly floating through life's mundanity. Life sort of happens around Fran, like she is transparent, or an inanimate figure that is only ornamental to the lives of her peers. The introduction of her love interest, Robert, played by Dave Merheje, is slow, and the bond that is fostered is subdued, almost translucent. The script and direction handles this frailty and understated life change with the delicacy of a small animal in your palms - the transformation that occurs through the awkward, stumbling feat of getting to know someone sends both Fran and Robert into a journey of self reflection and growth. I would also be remisce to not mention Marcia Debonis's Carol, whose candor is magnetic and wholesome. The art direction of this film is brutally cold - not a hint of warmth is felt for most of the runtime, which reflects Iran's state of being, even after the fateful joining. This almost makes the movie's pace feel like wet cement, adding to the weight of the already palpable depression. Even the small sparks of levity that come from this artful rom-com fizzle out without creating much light. This film certainly has something to say, which becomes most apparent during its seemingly ambiguous ending, though I don't think the goal was to leave us wiser, more empathetic, or even happy. It creates an experience for us - one in which we have found ourselves being Fran, Robert, or those who populate their lives. This is this film's special power, and there is undeniable beauty in the frost.

"Sometimes I Think About Dying" is a poignant and introspective film that illuminates the complexity of human emotions and existential struggles. Through its compelling narrative and beautifully crafted characters, the film explores themes of loneliness, depression and the search for meaning in life. The portrayals are authentic and moving, drawing the viewer into the inner turmoil of the protagonists. It is a thought-provoking journey that inspires empathy and reflection, reminding us of the importance of connection and understanding in a world where the thought of mortality can often weigh heavily on the mind.

A movie in an office about a girl and her colleagues. She is uninterested in life and tries to form a relationship with a new colleague. That's it. Boring uneventful and dull. I like Daisy but it feels like they just made a movie about nothing just for the sake of making a movie. A child could make a more interesting movie. You kind of expect that something interesting may happen but it doesn't. The movie drags out and then just ends. I would recommend avoiding watching it unless you have nothing else to watch and just feel like watching anything. Very disappointing and meaningless movie. With alot of unanswered questions about the characters.