I tried searching, has there really been no mention of The Vast of Night in this forum? It was my favorite film of last year, though admittedly I didn't see many. I saw it a couple months ago and still think about it. It's a plot we're all familiar with, quirky kids investigating rumors of UFOs, but the execution elevates it.
The film drops you right into the film's small town with this long take following Everett moving through his school. It brings us into the culture of the small town, and the dialogue is clever and distinct for all the characters while also foreshadowing some future themes. Everett and Fay are really likeable characters, especially Fay and the actors have great chemistry.
The pacing of edits and the cinematography really seems to move along with the pace of the story. There are a lot of long takes where the camera hardly moves as actors tell their stories or react to various goings on, the limited frame makes the film claustrophobic and also, inevitably, brings us into their emotional experience. During a couple scenes the film actually cuts to black leaving you to imagine whatever is most evocative to you as you listen to the film. It was a surprisingly bold stylistic choice. Oh, and there are a couple well executed long takes that not only establish the town's geography but also build paranoia, you're looking for UFOs or ET hiding in the town's shadows.
The film really captures a mix of excitement and fear of discovering something completely beyond the realm of normal life. And there's a great recurring theme of people on the margins of society being ignored throughout the film as well, I wasn't expecting some well done social critique alongside the film when I first started watching. Admittedly I think it spoke to something in me personally and I don't expect everyone to have such a strong reaction. But if you're ok with "slow burn" movies, check it out! It's especially impressive because it's the director's first feature.
13 Feb 2021, 2:07 am
