American Independent film-maker Matt Sobel who has made his
feature-film debut with Take Me to the River (2015) said in an interview that
the story for his film came from a ‘nightmare’. That rings true when we immerse
ourselves within the narrative’s setting.
Sobel’s frame resonate the visceral sensation of getting trapped inside
a nightmare. Each scene is brimming with an anticipation of terror, tightening
our stomach and chest, although you don’t see any visible violence. Of course, Take Me to the River isn’t a horror movie. Nevertheless, we all know how a
simple family gathering exercise could turn out to be the most horrific
experience, as hate might seep through the smiling facade. Sobel includes a
nasty twist into the familiar trope of family gathering. Middle-aged Cindy
(Robin Weigert) returns to her family farm in Nebraska from California for a
weekend with her husband Don (Richard Schiff) and teenage son Ryder (Logan Miller). In the car, Ryder says he wants to be open about his sexuality (his homosexuality), but Cindy requests
him to avoid those subjects with his relatives.
At barbecue, all of the relatives are present, including her
elderly mother and Brother Keith (Josh Hamilton). Keith’s daughters like
Ryder’s drawings and each of them demand a picture for him to draw. The precocious
one among the girls named Molly (Ursula Parker) gets attached with Ryder. The
nine year old girl asks Ryder to take her to the nearby barn. She is warned not to climb up the hay bales, but she does it anyway, claiming ‘I do it all the
time’. Molly wants to climb on the hay
bales to reach for the birds’ nest and she calls for her Californian cousin Ryder
to climb up too. The shot is then cut to large family having lunch and few
minutes later we hear Molly screaming. The frightened girl runs back to the
house with bloodstain on the lower part of her dress. Ryder is perplexed, insisting that he
didn’t harm her. He is also baffled when questioned what caused the bleeding.
Cindy suggests premature menstruation, but Keith’s angry looks & outraged
words towards Ryder spread the web of suspicion among all the relatives.
Mysterious harassment and incidents to alienate the
Californian family happens soon. The unsettling atmosphere takes a more
sinister turn when next day, Keith sends his daughter Abbey to invite
Ryder for lunch. Abbey conveys her father’s apologies for his rude behavior the previous day.
What follows is a brilliant cat-and-mouse game as Ryder takes up Keith’s offer.
He rides a horse alongside Abbey and there’s a beautiful shot of sunflower
field. As the horses glide past the field, we get the feeling that Ryder is traveling into a different world and about to learn some harsh lessons,
despite his unassailable demeanor. What unfurls is more unnerving than a
violent outburst. It all ends with a stark untangling of the past secrets,
which when contemplated in a relaxed manner seems unbelievably depraved (and in
turn lacks credibility). Even though I felt there’s something amiss with the denouement,
it took some time for me to get out of this expertly constructed rattling
atmosphere.
Matt Sobel asserts that his film is an ‘inverted
coming-of-age tale’. While adolescent protagonists in those films discover
self-confidence to pass through this tough rite-of-passage, Ryder’s character
only ends up confused compared to the earlier confident-self. Ryder is not
comfortable to go back into the closet and so wears the very short red-shorts,
v-neck t-shirt and yellow sunglasses to put forth a distinct identity. His
mother and dad state that his attire is inappropriate because the gathering is
about being together as a family; it’s not about making a statement.
Writer/director Matt Sobel circumvents our expectations of Ryder becoming a
scapegoat for his sexuality. As the narrative maneuvers through tight corners,
Ryder learns what happens isn’t about him. The dark familial past is referenced
(Cindy’s casual statement ‘it’s all about family’ resonates in Keith’s dubious
plan for a revenge). Like in the regular coming-of-age movies, the central
teenage character learns that the world doesn’t revolve around him, but in the
nastiest way possible.
Credibility issues
plague Take me to the River as we wonder why Keith wouldn’t allow even
Molly’s mother to examine her or why everybody immediately arrive at the worst
conclusion of sexual assault while the girl could have fallen down and I
finally wonder why Ryder’s parents who fully believe in their son’s words allow
him to take a unsafe journey. But, since Matt Sobel credits the story’s
origination to a ‘nightmare where he was wrongfully accused’, the narrative too
pretty much works with dream logic. You can either get frustrated by some of
the decisions taken by the characters or just lose yourselves in the
distressing atmosphere to take in the uneven logic. What’s insinuated in the
hard-to-watch ‘chicken fighting’ scene and in the final revelation are
depravities of the highest order. It is wise that director Sobel has opted to
not spell out the exact answers. I feel uncertainty in piecing out the answers
and couldn’t fully recognize some of the moral ambiguities. Ryder after the
defining incident of the story utters ‘I don’t know’ many times. He is not the
same guy who wants to rebel against the family. The viewers (including myself) are
also kind of rendered mute like Ryder (or left in ‘i-don’t-know mode’).
Matt Sobel constructs aura of dread and paranoia solely
through performances and layered camerawork. The moody atmospherics he creates
are so robust that even a shot of beautiful fields and trees (cinematography by
Scott Stanton) circulates a feeling of trepidation. Even if the bracing visuals
don’t have the bite of Michael Haneke’s, it is up there with the brooding
imagery of Lucrecia Martel (The Headless Women) and Ruben Ostlund (Force
Majeure). The fantastic performance, among the great cast, belongs to
character artist Josh Hamilton. As an intense redneck dad Keith, he creates an
ever-lasting impression through his sharp confrontations. Hamilton keeps us
on the edge, waiting for that explosion of temper. Newcomer Logan Miller excels
in the role of bewildered Ryder. He effortlessly makes the transformation from
being irritating, self-loving youngster to a sympathetic hero.
Trailer
Take Me to the River (85 minutes) will surely frustrate
and disturb a lot of viewers. It has a very slight premise to append the entire
narrative and it is not always convincing. But, the adept directorial approach
makes this one of the significant American indie films of recent years.
Finally, it’s not the kind of film you would exactly recommend to a friend,
unless he/she demands to experience the sensation of something clenching their
heart.
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