Day four of the 2021 Nashville Film Festival was another busy day of movies. Here’s what I watched — and what I recommend.
Faye
Faye is an impressive project. It also made history as the first one-woman film in American history. It was shot during the pandemic on an iPhone with only a four-person film. I applaud these talented creators for making something that never once felt like it was shot on a cell phone.
Faye’s (played by Sarah Zanotti) struggles are ones we can all identify with. She tries to figure out how to get out of her own head and how to overcome trauma. This is a psychological horror film in every sense of the phrase.
My complaint with Faye is that it lacks structure. There were moments that dragged on a little too long; there were times they failed to get the story across. At the end of the day, with it being a one-woman show, Zanotti gives such a powerful performance. It will stick with me for months to go come.
It’s only the beginning for writer/director Kd Amond and Zanotti and I can’t wait to see what they have in store for us next.
Beta Test
Jim Cummings’ writing style is one that tends to divide audiences right down the middle. That’s why Beta Test topped my most anticipated movies of the festival.
The script for this movie was all over the place. It’s hard to follow and made it difficult to become invested in a scatterbrained plot. As much as I like Cummings as a writer, I think he would be more effective by allowing others to bring his work to life. His character was unlikable and it wasn’t a great performance.
Overall, the story was inconsistent with mediocre acting.
Porcupine
Who doesn’t struggle to figure out what they want out of life? I know I do and, in this one, we watch Audrey (Jena Malone) struggle to find meaningful purpose in her life through a job and relationships. Writer/Director M. Cahill does a beautiful job of painting the picture of what he wants us to feel from Audrey. He has a way to break us down to our core and highlight the struggles that we all face daily.
The way he writes the story is relatable on so many levels but what Malone brings to the character of Audrey makes it feel even more personal. It’s everything from her body language to mannerisms to how she delivers the script. You see a reflection of yourself through her performance.
Malone gives the best performance of her career.
