Manning Walker adopts the aesthetics of Spring Breakers (Harmony Korine, 2012), but delicately and appropriately injects a social commentary spin, delving into the subjects of teenage sexuality, rape, and consent.
While this choice in visual presentation, as well as the way some essential sequences are shot, seems to soften the powerful message, the great lead performance by Mia McKenna-Bruce compensates for much of it.
As usual, Ken Loach excels in presenting highly relevant and socially significant topics. This time, it’s the complexities involved in the integration of immigrant groups into enclosed communities.
The movie thrives once we get past its very Lynchian start and immerses itself in its extremely sexual tone, while showing barely any explicit sex. Nonetheless, it might have been even better if it had put slightly more emphasis on the “quantification of the intangibles” discourse presented through the dramatic and unsettling events that the motel’s inhabitants are experiencing after misfortune has hit their lives.
Except for Mary (portrayed excellently by Da’Vine Joy Randolph), it’s challenging to appreciate the other rather despicable characters. Although they are presented as flawed but endearing, they come across as unlikable or ‘assholish’. Having unlikable characters isn’t an issue, but it becomes problematic when it’s clear that this wasn’t the writer’s intention.
The beautiful Alpine locations and sets are essentially the only redeeming aspects of this otherwise overly convoluted movie.
