The Greenhouse

source: The Greenhouse

It's well made and acted and I've definitely seen worse but it's just boring. First of all things aren't even explained properly and it just jumps from one scene to another. It all started in the very first scene, I thought I'd somehow begun the movie half way through. Save your time, there's better movies out there.

The general idea of this film is solid. Find a portal to the past and assess your issues. Not only your grief for your mother, but also the complex relationship you have/had with the literal girl-next-door. The execution leaves something to be desired though. What are the specific rules for this portal? What are the consequences for staying? How much physicality is wanted/needed in the portal? Did you actually need THREE siblings to be part of the story? Why introduce an inconvenient boyfriend if he's eventually just quietly dismissed? This feels a little bit like two films inexpertly crammed together. One about complex sibling relationships in a large family and One about the dangers of nostalgia. Each one is reasonably well executed, but put them together and they diminish each other.

The film takes place in Australia and centers on Beth (Jane Watt) whose date with a boy was the discussion at the dinner table. We discover, like her mother, she prefers women as partners. Likewise her one brother is gay. One brother is a doctor and one sister is an actress and no one will tell her she is bad. Beth discovers a greenhouse through the mist. It is a portal to the past as she watches events which have happened. She is addicted to it, but it takes a toll on her. This is an independent art-house film. While I grasped the concept, I just didn't find the family drama entertaining. Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

The Greenhouse (2021) was written and directed by Thomas Wilson-White. The basic premise of the film is interesting. Four children have grown up with two mothers. One of the mothers has died. They return home for the birthday of the surviving mother. After that, it all goes downhill. Instead of just showing us flashbacks, director Wilson-White gives us a haunted greenhouse, which more or less produces scenes in present time that should be flashbacks. OK--maybe that will work. However, the people in the flashbacks become real, and they attack. We actually see young adults running and screaming in the woods as the creatures chase them. (Not kidding.) We saw this film virtually from ImageOut, the (otherwise) excellent Rochester LGBT Film Festival. The movie has a terrible IMDb rating of 5.0. I didn't think it deserved a rating that high, and rated it 3.

This film is incredibly well made, multi-layered and nuanced, punching well above it's indie limitations. A beautiful and confident feature debut, Thomas Wilson-White the writer/director, explained in a video via AACTA the inspirations behind this film were directly influenced through his own family and personal circumstances. It is very evident, through the careful curation of imagery, character dynamics, symbolism and tone of the film that this is a deeply personal story, filled with a lot of heart. This is not a happy film and I don't think it ever was meant to be. It explores several human experiences that aren't pleasant; largely the exploration of grief, losing a parent, regrets and internal turmoil. These are presented through the main character Beth, superbly performed by Jane Watt, as we follow her journey throughout the film. The writing is exquisite, it builds a lived in alternative family unit that effortlessly presents several queer and multiracial characters. The family dynamic brings a lot of joy and warmth; beautifully performed by the ensemble cast, that contrasts the moody undertones and melancholic meditation of the overarching story. The Greenhouse presents itself as a dramatic character study, but boldly shifts territory, adding several subtle layers of fantasy and sci-fi. It achieves a meaningful pursuit of discovery and reflection, creating a nostalgic yearning for simpler and happier times.

I gave this movie 1 hour and I didn't see the point in continuing, I came here to find out what is was about.... the actors are beautiful and the editing is good ...clearly some $$$ was spent but the plot is very very shallow if at-all.

The beautiful Jane Watt proves she is a rising star with an engaging and convincing performance though the story provided her little opportunity to really excel. Interesting. Sometimes confusing flashbacks and weird mumbo-jumbo. The people felt authentic and the story was engaging but it bounced around and was disjointed at times. In general, the production value was good. Pacing was sometimes slow, but as expected for a study of loss and grief. Worthwhile.

There were several things that were done well here with the filming and the performances, but the writing was not one of them. This really just comes across as made for, about, and by people who like emptiness, who even prefer that over anything real or solid or healthy. I suppose it could have been meant as an exploration of that, as a cautionary tale, but I doubt it. I think even among postmodernists who do like that, most will dislike this film for its plodding pacing. I could have overlooked the pacing if it had had any redemption or growth or goodness or wisdom. But as it was, the film was just bad.

Trailer—The Greenhouse