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The clever and low-budget independent film, Brightwood, showcases the potential of creating a powerful piece with minimal resources – only a concept, a pair of actors, and a multitasking writer-director (Dane Elcar) who also handles the camera. However, it also highlights the constraints of the genre, as it would be naive to say that finances have no impact on the final product.
The scene opens with a couple running in the forest, engaging in a heated argument. Jen (played by Dana Berger) and Dan (played by Max Woertendyke) have been married long enough to know and dislike each other quite well. Jen is engrossed in a divorce podcast while Dan is annoyed that she won’t take out her earbuds to have a conversation. Tensions rise as Jen expresses anger towards Dan’s drinking and flirting, while Dan is also dealing with a wicked hangover. Their exchanges have a repetitive and painful quality, each round of their argument exacerbating existing wounds. It’s tempting to intervene, but they are so deeply entrenched in their toxic relationship that it takes them a while to realize they are trapped in a cycle on multiple levels.
Here’s where the film enters into more surreal territory: Jen and Dan find that there is seemingly no way out of the circular path around a pond in the woods which they’ve been navigating. They keep finding themselves back where they started, quite literally. These kinds of time loops or impossible spaces may be a fairly standard feature of sci-fi, but the dovetailing of the glitch with the psychological landscape of the characters is what lends it a little bit of the heft of something like Luis Buñuel’s The Exterminating Angel.
Unfortunately, the characterization in this film is limited due to its microbudget production. This places a heavy burden on the script and the two actors to carry the entire weight of the film. While there are no glaring issues with the writing or performances, a film with more resources has the advantage of incorporating other elements such as impressive performances from supporting actors, impactful set pieces, or exceptional production design. In this case, the audience is confined to one setting just like the characters, and at times, this can feel like an endurance test in a negative way. However, despite these constraints, this cleverly-made film has the potential to launch the careers of both the cast and crew.
Source: theguardian.com
