The Wait

The Wait

The Wait

So...we wander through life until something happens that shatters the illusions that we have created for ourselves. Emma (Chloe Sevigny)the elder sister has been acting as Hospice nurse for their ailing mother, who in the opening of the film has finally died. The younger sister Angela (Jena Malone) has come to aid her sister. Also there are Emma's two children, who have their own subplots. Emma is not ready to let go of her mother and after a real or imagined phone call (you decide) which can be interpreted as saying her mother will soon be resurrected, Emma begins to prepare for the event. The dynamics between the sisters is never really explored in a satisfactory way. We do learn that Emma is married and that Angela had a long-term relationship, that Emma considered toxic, that ended recently. Angela meets a younger man who she begins to develop a crush on. This relationship is also not explored to any satisfactory conclusion. If fact, I can see no reason for these subplots, and to be honest, would have though that the plot should have been less diluted by these meaningless subplots. Oh well, I am sure the writer/Director (M. Bash) know exactly what he was trying to say and as he continues in his career I really hope he gets that chance. The film is pleasant to look at and visually it tells the story better than the plot does. Forest fires, sunlight falling through the forest, a horse being cleaned of the chemicals sprayed on the fire and finally two shocking videos played on the computer. The first of a young girl being hit by a train and a demon face (a la The Exorcist). Life shocks us back from our illusions to the reality of death and suffering. Far too film school in its approach, the director does get technological kudos for his ability to paint a picture that distracts from some serious plot and dialogue issues.

I first heard about 'The Wait' from a friend of mine. He recommended it to me on the basis of my interest in the work of David Lynch, and also because he knows that I'd lived in the Pacific Northwest for a little while. The first time I watched the film, I admit that I didn't really get what was going on. The plot moves very quickly at moments, and very slowly at others. But, upon a second viewing I felt I really started to understand. The film is very rich, and the characters go deep. I feel like a common reading/viewing of 'The Wait' – or at least from what I've read in other critics reviews – is that the film lacks any kind of depth. I don't think so, I think there is a very strange coherency to the film. It's like a fever dream, the characters emotional movements like tectonic plates, in that they shift imperceptibly at times, but there always is a shifting and movement. I'm thinking particularly of Chloe's character Emma, her scene where she sees her husband again for the first time in a while. They're out on a boat, her mania is palpable. I found that shift to be really interesting. Thank you M Blash, and looking forward to the next one. –Howard

The picture opens just after the death of the mother of sisters Angela and Emma. Someone calls Emma and tells her the mother will return. Emma tells this to Angela who laughs in spite of her overall sadness. The sisters are a bit slow getting officials in to look at the body. Karen (Emma's daughter) is a bit weirded out by everything. Then again, so is Angela. Her off and on budding romance with Ben is interrupted now and then with her dealing with the death. Angela's semi-meltdown when Henry (Emma's ex) wants to see his mother in law was rather awkward. No one had bothered to tell Henry about the death. Spoiler alert: there is no resolution to anything. The best is not ahead in the film; instead the best moment was the golden second before the film started. -----Scores----- Cinematography: 9/10 Some great camera work to be sure, from the technical standpoint. Sound: 5/10 Irritating and discordant, more or less like all the inner versus outer performance art pieces that comprise the film. Acting: 2/10 Roughly speaking, every other performance I've seen from Chloe Sevigny was better than this one. All the other performances (except, perhaps, that of Luke Grimes) seemed to be of the form 'hit your mark, say your lines, do not think.' Actors should do a bit better than this. Screenplay: 2/10 The interleaving the narrative with footage of firemen doing their best to contain a huge forest fire was interesting to a point. The characters in the film are not touched by it--unless they go looking for it, and most do not--but all this real destruction is nearby. These entitled, upper class twits don't seem to see themselves losing ground (burning up inside) while their outer lives seem fine. That's great from a 20 year old film student, but I could do without it in a motion picture that has been released. The manipulative camera techniques were not all that helpful or interesting or novel; I don't feel that they advanced the narrative or the overall impact of the story. Overall, the picture seemed like visiting an archipelago from a cruise ship. Each island is less interesting than the last, and there is no particular coherence to the experience as a whole.

I found this film to be a very compelling work on the process of mourning. Seeing Blash's film 'Lying' after 'The Wait' enriched my understanding of it: 'The Wait' continues his exploration of dramatic themes from 'Lying', in particular about interpersonal faith and trust. Jena Malone's performance is particularly striking – the subtle crumbling of her rationality as she allows herself to fall in love – there is something unbelievable, yet very true about her manic, moment to moment emotional changes. Sure, it's not a perfect film, but it rewards the patience and attention given to it. 9/10

This movie started out really good. Then it just got so confusing and didn't make a lot of sense. For example, who called her on the phone? Was it just her brother playing a trick on her? I couldn't tell. And what was up with the time capsule? And who was at the door at the end? As good an actress as chloe is, even her facial expressions were very confusing. And why did she seem so confused when jenna finally "saw the light" and thought her mom was going to return? Why? She was the one who got her to believe it in the first place? And did the puppy die? And since her daughter was with her when she bought it, how did she not know her mom had a puppy in a box? Just too many questions. Too many loose ends to make any sense.

For starters, Sevigny and Malone look more like sisters than many actual sisters, adding more affect than one might expect. The introduction to THE WAIT is great, it's subtle yet captivating and anyone who's gone through the experience of a like death (usually the big "C" involving a parent or grandparent) will immediately pick up on the chilling vibe. From there we begin a trip with the three bereaving children, beautifully encased in a gorgeous Oregon setting that is alternately threatening, benign, active and sterile. Sevigny does her usual wonderful turn, herein as sort of a passive-aggressive sister. Was unfamiliar with Malone, who steals the show. Young brother also engrossing. On one hand, captivating this film is!; i.e., to the point that the viewer (certainly THIS viewer) may become indifferent to whether the major plot item - mom's dead! - is even resolved. On this thought I was almost disappointed at the head scratching, curious attempt at resolution at the very end. Yes there are plot lines and characters aplenty completely untreated when the credits begin to roll. But the virtual submersion into THE WAITS' atmosphere leads me to recommend a watching. PS/The comparison to a David Lynch film; e.g., both the ambiguity and the TWIN PEAKS setting, comes to mind, though those put off by Lynch's strangeness, violence, etc., need not fear herein.

I watched this film a couple days ago and can't stop thinking about it. I generally like movies about altered states and know many people might not. At times the film feels literally timeless, evoking a complex ambiguity that must rest somewhere on the spectrum of grief (I think about 'the year of magical thinking' by Joan Didion). It's perfectly beautiful despite being awkward and stilted at times. The story is mildly confusing or maybe not - I don't know! But the sisters opposing points of view held my interest and plot holes seemed beside the point. The natural and sincere performances are gilded by a stylized world –it's almost like someone's saying death doesn't exist, which in some ways is more terrifying than death itself. Also: Chloe Sevigny has a daughter in the film that eerily looks like her, Luke Grimes is fun to look at and I loved loved seeing Jena Malone give it to her ex over the phone.

A talented newcomer on the scene has utilized the language of film to demonstrate a sophisticated and engrossing portrait of a family falling into dysfunction, yet struggling to hold themselves together. Unable to deal with the passing of her mother, a young woman named Emma, hears a voice on the phone telling her to wait, "they will return." Of course, this is something that she interprets as a sign that her mother will return from the dead. Why not? It seems perfectly reasonable. Oddly enough, her sister Angela, incredulous at first, reluctantly goes along with the fantasy. That starts the mystery -- why would two such upper class twits allow themselves to believe in this modern fairy tale? Once you buy the concept, and are willing to suspend your disbelief, you become lulled in by the sumptuous images, the endless wandering through the woods, and odd behavior by otherwise normal people. The cinematography is outstanding for a low-budget project such as this, with stunning shots of a wildfire (apparently it was shot sometime during a massive fire in Oregon), and the shots of the planes flying over, dropping long clouds of pinkish fire retardant are strangely beautiful. Chloe Sevigny as Emma performs exactly as expected, she sells the idea wholeheartedly. Jena Malone, as the sister supposedly with her head together, is less believable, but does manage to convey the baffling contrast between someone who doesn't for a moment believe in the idea of resurrection, yet is willing to give in for the sake of keeping her sister happy. She develops an outside interest in a man-boy named Ben, who has a poet's soul, but who cannot seem to penetrate whatever barriers she has constructed (we never find out exactly why). There are a couple of minor subplots, one of which involves a younger brother and one of the other neighbor boys, but it is given short shrift and then tossed on the back burner, which is a shame, since it would have added some much needed interest outside of the two main characters. There is also some professional work done by a young girl named Lana Green, who has a small but dynamic role as Emma's daughter, and should be a leading actress in another 10 years. Overall, a few plot lines get lost, and some of the lines make no sense whatsoever, but the beautiful shots more than make up for the shortcomings.