Sunday Girl (USA, Peter Ambrosio, 2019)
At once familiar and refreshingly adept, Sunday Girl is a self-aware and clever examination of a day in the life of a young woman trying to get her romantic life back in order.
Natasha is at an important crossroads in her life. She is dating five men, but decides she wants to commit to only one, George (Brandon Stacy) so she embarks upon a one day mission to break up with the other four. Each boyfriend comes with a distinct set of emotional baggage, and at first the set up of the story feels schematic, as it looks like we will simply bounce from one lover to the next, bearing witness to their various and varied responses to the news of their relationships' end. Thankfully, writer/director Peter Ambrosio quickly breaks from this pattern, inserting flashbacks and the occasional colourful cameo by Natasha's friends and associates, fleshing out her back story and adding some emotional heft to her decision to zero in on
George as her man.
Ambrosio, who appears to have learned very much from the films of Wes Anderson, has a very good eye for symmetrical compositions and creative camera placement, as well as an astute sense of detail in the costumes and set design. He also gets some very good performances out of his actors. The above mentioned Stacy adds a note of seriousness and intensity to the tone a film that might otherwise come off as rather light weight.Noted podcaster Dasha Nekrasova's performance as Natasha is initially rather detached and monochromatic, but evolves into something approaching sympathetic by the film's midway point. By the end, Nekrasova, looking like Emma Stone's little sister, we feel that Natasha has if not earned, at least is deserving of her emotional catharsis. Finally, the score by Oscar Tetenbaum is a standout. Both playful and vibrant, Tetenbaum's score provides the film with just the right emotional notes throughout.
Writer/director Peter Ambrosio makes a very good first impression with his feature film debut.
.
At once familiar and refreshingly adept, Sunday Girl is a self-aware and clever examination of a day in the life of a young woman trying to get her romantic life back in order.
Natasha is at an important crossroads in her life. She is dating five men, but decides she wants to commit to only one, George (Brandon Stacy) so she embarks upon a one day mission to break up with the other four. Each boyfriend comes with a distinct set of emotional baggage, and at first the set up of the story feels schematic, as it looks like we will simply bounce from one lover to the next, bearing witness to their various and varied responses to the news of their relationships' end. Thankfully, writer/director Peter Ambrosio quickly breaks from this pattern, inserting flashbacks and the occasional colourful cameo by Natasha's friends and associates, fleshing out her back story and adding some emotional heft to her decision to zero in on
George as her man.
Ambrosio, who appears to have learned very much from the films of Wes Anderson, has a very good eye for symmetrical compositions and creative camera placement, as well as an astute sense of detail in the costumes and set design. He also gets some very good performances out of his actors. The above mentioned Stacy adds a note of seriousness and intensity to the tone a film that might otherwise come off as rather light weight.Noted podcaster Dasha Nekrasova's performance as Natasha is initially rather detached and monochromatic, but evolves into something approaching sympathetic by the film's midway point. By the end, Nekrasova, looking like Emma Stone's little sister, we feel that Natasha has if not earned, at least is deserving of her emotional catharsis. Finally, the score by Oscar Tetenbaum is a standout. Both playful and vibrant, Tetenbaum's score provides the film with just the right emotional notes throughout.
Writer/director Peter Ambrosio makes a very good first impression with his feature film debut.
.
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