Allen Sunshine is a beautifully nuanced look at grief, even if script and performance issues keep it from packing a weightier punch.
Director: Harley Chamandy
Genre: Drama
Run Time: 90′
U.S. Release: November 12, 2024
U.K. Release: December 3, 2024
Where to Watch: Digital & VOD
Movies about grief and trauma may just be some of the hardest to make. The emotions examined in films exploring trauma need to feel authentic to be effective without spilling over into exploitation. Allen Sunshine walks that tightrope quite effectively, offering a nuanced look at grief, even if the script and performances occasionally falter.
Allen (Vincent Leclerc), known in his professional capacity in the music industry as “Allen Sunshine,” is longing for a renewed sense of sunniness and cheer. Grieving the death of his wife, Allen takes to the woods, recording sounds for his ambient music, fishing, and trying desperately to grasp onto anything that can give him hope. He meets some new faces in his exile, including a helpful neighbor (Joseph Whitebird) and two boys (Miles Phoenix Foley and Liam Quiring-Nkindi) who try to inject some positivity into the widower’s life.
Winner of the 2024 Werner Herzog Film Award, Allen Sunshine certainly shines in its direction. Harley Chamandy, in only his early 20s, confidently composes every frame, drawing inspiration from directors ranging from John Ford to Terrence Malick. The way the young filmmaker utilizes doorways is straight out of The Searchers. Shots of running water and forest greens offer some tranquility, something Allen is trying to find for himself. In a heartwarming scene, the neighbor Bill tells Allen that God is “in the trees and rivers,” and the viewer gets the sense that Chamandy (along with cinematographer Kenny Suleimanagich) is capturing the weight of that statement through his mise en scène.
Aside from the occasional misstep into “telling,” the film demonstrates a clever sense of “showing” the audience the trauma Allen is suffering. Scenes where people recognize Allen for his music, while passing over completely, or not giving enough attention to, the tragedy he suffered, plant audiences firmly in his mindset. Allen spends large chunks of the film alone, and Chamandy finds small, subtle ways of depicting his main character’s grief through dialogue and performance…making the scenes that do flatly exposit that feeling of grief extra frustrating. One or two scenes, including one where Allen brings home a date, contain moments of real power that are then undercut by a couple of thematically on-the-nose lines of dialogue.
Even in these more expository scenes, however, Leclerc shines. He brings weight and gravitas to a film that is lacking in the other performances. Not to downplay Whitebird, the boys, and the other actors that pop into the narrative, but none of them seem to have the experience and understanding of the film’s goal as Leclerc does. Each actor offers genuinely touching moments, but lacks the consistency that Leclerc provides.
The ending shows Allen diving into the river. Water is a recurring motif in the film, one of several (a ringing phone and references to magicians never revealing their secrets, for example). Maybe the most important shot in the film, this ending shows Allen symbolically washing away that feeling of grief and embracing new opportunities that await him. Chamandy, with this debut feature, similarly embraces the potential of becoming a great filmmaker. Though this film reveals a few stains that could be blotted out, it’s clear that Allen Sunshine is a beautiful, layered, first step for a budding artist.
Allen Sunshine: Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
Mourning the loss of his wife, music producer Allen retreats to a cabin in the Canadian wilderness. There, the people he encounters help him grieve and find friendship in the midst of affliction.
Pros:
- In his debut, Chamandy already feels like a seasoned veteran behind the camera. The cinematography pops, and many shots take inspiration from other great filmmakers.
- Leclerc gives an authentic and empathetic portrayal of the lead character, proficiently balancing a range of emotions and the stages of grief.
Cons:
- Outside Leclerc, the other performances fall mostly flat.
- The combination of underwhelming performances and certain script issues means the film isn’t able to fully achieve the themes it wishes to explore.
Allen Sunshine, winner of the 2024 Werner Herzog Film Award, is now available to watch on digital platforms.
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