‘Redlands’ Review: John Brian King's Feature Debut is Flawed and Unfeeling
Dekanalog
From Rear Window to Blow-up, cinema has always found fascination in voyeuristic men wielding cameras, possibly in connection to the medium as a whole, as such masculine figures have dominated for much of history. For his feature film debut, Redlands, which begins its theatrical release on June 4, John Brian King throws his hat into this class of narrative ring, centering around the creative collaboration and brutality that surfaces between an aspiring model and a middle-aged amateur photographer. While Redlands may scratch the surface of intriguing ideas surrounding alienation, gender roles, and creativity, its form and performances are unable to support these notions in ways that are particularly engaging.
America's Next Top Model winner Nicole Arianna Fox stars in Redlands as the self-monikered Vienna, a model who uprooted from Ohio to Redlands, California, around fifty miles outside of Los Angeles, to pursue her career plans. In addition to her modeling gigs (mainly comprised of lingerie and nude photoshoots), Vienna works as an office receptionist and a vlogger, speaking to her followers about her processes of creativity and reinvention. Vienna's live-in boyfriend Zack (Sam Brittan) plays in an indie rock band, with studio sessions subsidized by Vienna's eclectic income, despite his jealous, demeaning behavior toward her.
One afternoon, Vienna is hired for a photography session with Allan (Clifford Morts, serving the movie's most convincing performance), a recent divorcee with newfound hopes of becoming a photographer. While Vienna's first session with Allan feels quite awkward, shot on a digital camera sans production value, the two gradually build a creative partnership that nourishes them both in different ways. Despite Allan's declined credit cards and failure to pay past-due child support, he continues to devote his time to photography sessions with Vienna, all while Zack becomes increasingly preoccupied with his band’s rising success. One day, while shooting in the desert, Allan commits a startling act that changes the trajectory of his life and Vienna's forever.
Dekanalog
In its most compelling moments, King’s Redlands screenplay explores complex visions of masculinity in contemporary America. The film distinctly portrays Allan and Zack, but manifestations of insecurity shine through both characters with a similar viciousness, particularly showcased through their interactions with women. In ways, the men are trapped within their suburban surroundings, left to grapple with resentments toward the women in their lives. However, the movie emphasizes these struggles with increasing cruelty as the film moves forward, primarily through the language of the script, with piercing lines like “You’re just as stupid as your fucking mother” that come out of left field.
Contributing to the jarring effect of such lines mentioned above, King leans into a stiltedness with the script that contributes to the overall uneasiness Redlands conveys. With its employment of relatively unknown actors, an uncomfortable woodenness dwells throughout the film in almost every line of dialogue. Instead of producing an uncanny effect, this confluence between the script and the actors feels disjointed and flat, particularly when it comes to Fox’s leading performance.
In stride with its powerlessly observational perspective, Redlands favors long, drawn-out scenes with a stationary camera setup that only allows for movement in the film’s final scenes. This formal decision feels like an attempt for King to separate his work from other indie flicks of the time (Redlands originally premiered in 2014). In conjunction with the film’s overall flavorless impression, this choice of visual language does little to bolster its final result.
All in all, Redlands feels like a frustrating and uninspired debut from King. Well-known in the film industry as a title designer, King's first feature maintains a blandness that lacks purpose, possibly pointing to Redlands being his only directorial effort since its release. Redlands begins its U.S. theatrical release on Wednesday, June 4, at Nitehawk Cinema's Prospect Park location.
1.5/5
2014 / 109 minutes / USA / Color / In English