The Sunlit Night

Since at least the early 2000s I'm pretty sure "indie comedy-drama" has been its own distinct genre. Wry, low-key humor, quirky situational comedy and dialogue, a charming and disaffected protagonist who is maybe a bit of a mess; a beautiful setting, loose and somewhat personal cinematography, and soft, blithely pleasant music: broadly speaking, we've seen this movie before. That doesn't mean a new indie comedy-drama can't be just as worthwhile, though, and from the start 'The sunlit night' is a playful delight. Moreover, don't take my summary to be dismissive, because the film earns solid laughs right away and consistently; Jenny Slate is a perpetual joy anywhere she appears, and certainly that's the case here as she portrays Frances. The Norwegian landscapes are utterly breathtaking; Martin Ahlgren's cinematography is smart and vivid, and Enis Rotthoff's original music is earnestly enjoyable. The production design at large is splendid, and the art direction is altogether dazzling. Honestly, I think this is fantastic! Rebecca Dinerstein Knight, adapting her own novel, has crafted a screenplay of fabulous wit, heart, and outright silliness, employing all these in turn. The story is familiar in vague terms, but meaningfully engaging and even impactful as Frances searches for herself; the dialogue and scene writing are unexpectedly rich and thoughtful. Perhaps most notably, she has penned wonderfully weird, varied characters - figures whose eccentricity is the real core of the feature, but which belies sincere humanity and complexity. 'The sunlit night' is a little odd and offbeat, but warm and bighearted, and far more vibrant and substantial than I assumed from the outside looking in. Additional small touches peppered throughout, demonstrating how Frances connects to the world through art, a clever and maybe even a little inspired. With so strong a foundation, and such able craftsmanship, filmmaker David Wnendt shapes the picture with gratifying intelligence and mindfulness, making it as easy to watch as one could hope any film to be. All this is rounded out, not least, with a terrific cast who unreservedly embrace the curious amalgamation of moods. Slate may be a relatively fresh face in cinema, but she proves her capability and versatility again and again with every role she takes on, and I can't wait to see still more from her in the years to come. Recognizable names and faces like Gillian Anderson, Zach Galifianakis, David Paymer, and Jessica Hecht are a glad sight, and this is no less true of less renowned actors like Alex Sharp or Fridtjov Saheim. If I have any particular criticisms, it might be that there are a couple moments in the latter half that are a bit heavy-handed in their awkwardness, somewhat exceeding the tone that this otherwise adopts. Everything is part and parcel of the tale being told, but in these instances the movie feels extra noticeably common, as if to say "Oh. I guess we're doing that after all." Then again, if this is the worst that I have to say about 'The sunlit night,' then I'd wager it's done pretty well for itself. It may not be so abjectly special as to demand viewership, unless perhaps one is a huge fan of someone involved or a connoisseur of the genre. But even if it's not a total must-see, by all means this is all-around excellent. In its writing, direction, acting, and all other ways, it's a small breath of fresh air, and a sweet, satisfying good time. Don't necessarily feel like you need to go out of your way for 'The sunlit night,' but if you do have the chance to watch, it's a heartfelt, entertaining way to spend 82 minutes, and well worth checking out.

source: The Sunlit Night

source: The Sunlit Night

What an adventure that was, this was one of the most beautiful movies I've seen in a long time, so subtle, so beautiful, so yellow. I absolutely love the performances of Jenny Slade and the other cast of characters, especially her father. This movie takes you on a beautiful Norwegian journey of art, love, loneliness, and beauty. The plot is substantive and highly enjoyable, unlike the typical trope many of today's movies. This was truly an original gym. Again, if you're a cinephile or you like subtle movies, and this is when you absolutely must see.

I have a feeling that this movie suffered from a difficulty in "finding" its audience, which was almost certainly those who are artists. It could approached and appreciated by others for sure, but for this film basically assumes you have at the least a passing interest in art, and a decent knowledge of art history. Without them, I don't see there being a lot for the viewer to latch onto except for the beautiful scenery, though I suppose the theme of "finding yourself" is fairly universal... But don't go in looking for broad comedy or warm and fuzzy romance or you will most certainly not find one. I however was very much drawn in and felt it to be a warm and honest portrayal of an artist searching for her path. The trailers may present this as a sort of quirky rom-com, but it's really not, which is a strength in my opinion. But if that's what one went in expecting, I could see some disappointment. This is much more about Art, being a painter, perhaps being a Jewish painter who's a woman, and commitment to all of the above. Notice that list did NOT include love, romance or finding the "right one." I think we've had quite enough of those already anyway, and Jenny Slate does an excellent job in inhabiting her character in a natural and organic manner. That said, it IS often funny, with snappy dialog when the scene calls for it, and more subdued when appropriate. Plenty of sections have little dialog at all except for some internal commentary coming from Slate's character. Lastly, it's a visually beautiful film to look at, with gorgeous scenery and naturalistic lighting.

This film, like all art, is in the perspective, and there is so much of it in this great little film. Characters you care about - one way or the other. People you know. Humor. Disappointment - in yourself and others. Some things in it sneak up on you. The one main art piece at the top of the world took my breath away! WOW! Watching the completion of "It" was worth watching the whole film. Now I want one. It's quiet. It's subtle. It's smart. Enjoy!

Seems like you have to either know or be friends with some of these actors. A great movie that your friends made.. but something that outsiders should watch? Why. Horrible. Lofoten Norways beautiful scenery and maybe a smirk from seeing zachs (just a cameo), but a complete waste of time.

Thank you for bringing me art, warmth, and hope on a snowy April morning!

Sunlit Night is about a journey of an aspiring artist to the northern edge of the world where the sun never sets, even at night (during the summer months she visits). The movie starts with an young artist Frances's work being ridiculed by three pompous critics. In the next few scenes, we see her whole life being thrown into a disarray. As she questions her future as an artist, her boyfriend dumps her. When she visits her parents home (which doesn't have much space for her and her sister), she finds out that her sister is getting married and her parents are splitting up. Also, the artist residency she was applying for has been rejected. Thus, she is has no place to stay (except for sharing an airbed with her dad in his cramped up studio). Her agent tells her that there is an opportunity to be an assistant to an artist in oblivion (she even assumed he was dead) in Norway. With nowhere else to go, she decides to take up the opportunity. She makes the journey to Lofoten to meet the artist Nils Auermann, an artist whose work hasn't received much acclaim and he now leads a secluded life in a fish-factory converted into a place where he lives alone. He is trying make his mark by painting a whole barn yellow and get it recognized as one of the highlighted piece of art in Norway. He has a month to complete the work and it would be then inspected by the Norwegian Art Institute. He brushes of all the attempts by Frances to create a connect and tells her that there is long hours of hard work ahead of her in the coming days as this project is very important to him. Over a period of time he realizes her effort is helping him meet the deadline and despite a having very different personalities, they compliment each other well. The barn is in a modern viking village which has a viking museum and a viking community that try to live a traditional viking life. Frances tries to explore this community and ends up meeting Yasha, a baker from US who is here for his father's burial (who wished for a traditional viking burial). As she spends the moment where he comes to term with the grief of losing his father, she realizes the how a painting captures such a strong emotion, something she has never painted. The work at the barn is done and she is working alone at the barn the night before inspection. Yasha comes over to tell her that he is leaving the next day. They end up having a passionate night and are lying there naked when the folks from the institute come in for inspection. Frances realizing how she messed it all up for Nils, flees from the scene and then leaves for back home without meeting Nils. When back home, she gets a mail from Nils informing her that the barn has been accepted and releases her of her guilt. In a turn of events, her parents too decide not to split. The movie ends with her showing some paintings she did while she was in Norway, to the same critics, who now think she is making progress. As she tries to summarize her experience in Norway, she contemplates if she was running away from her life, was she running towards it, did she mess up or did she make most of it or if she got where she needed to go? She is not sure what to make of it. The movie was beautifully pictured, capturing some wonderful landscape and the music was complimenting well and the acting was reasonably good. The screenplay was adapted from a novel and didn't do justice to the story, probably providing too little a context for viewers to associate with. It looked patchy in places as one couldn't associate why some plots were shown in much detail and other weren't explored enough, especially the relationship that Frances has with Nils and Yasha were not sufficiently developed. It's aesthetically beautiful to watch and has the heart in the right place. Just wish the screenplay was a bit more comprehensive.

This film really captured what it feels like to be an artist. The precarious balance between living your life and being inspired to create. Loved the subtle humor and beautiful scenery. Sometimes there is a magic in getting out of your normal routine and going somewhere exotic where life can surprise you. Enjoyed the use of paintings to describe how the main character was feeling. Being an artist myself and having sat through a lot of art history classes it was entertaining to see that knowledge used to explain everyday life. Thank you for making this film! Can't wait to read the book by Rebecca Dinerstein knight that the movie is based from.