MIDDAY BLACK, MIDNIGHT BLUE (USA)
Samantha Soule & Daniel Talbott

By Adrian Perez

In "Midday Black, Midnight Blue," Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott craft an extraordinary narrative that transcends the conventions of traditional storytelling. This emotionally potent exploration of grief and love resonates with anyone who has grappled with loss, profound loss.

The film masterfully intertwines the conscious and the subconscious, the external and the internal, offering a strikingly immersive narrative on grief, love, and ultimately, healing. Echoes of David Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" and Darren Aronofsky's "Requiem for a Dream" resonate in this exploration of the darkest corners of our minds.

Ian (Chris Stack), the grieving protagonist, embarks on a mental journey akin to the mythic quest of Orpheus. His palpable yearning for a deceased beloved is rendered with such poignancy that it permeates each frame. Soule, making her directorial debut and co-writing with Talbott, precisely crafts a labyrinthine narrative, each scene a piece of Ian's complex, disjointed psyche.

Two-time Emmy-winning Merritt Wever portrays Beth, the living reminder of Ian's loss. Her soulful and haunting performance serves as a counterpoint to Ian's growing isolation. Her empathetic character recalls Meryl Streep's delicate rendering of Sophie in "Sophie's Choice," as she navigates the challenging landscape of a loved one's self-destruction.

The Pacific Northwest serves as the film's stark and mysterious backdrop, its almost sentient presence adding to the film's atmospheric quality. By juxtaposing the vast external world with the isolated internal one, the cinematography underscores the film's thematic duality.

Interweaving elements of experimental cinema with a deeply emotional narrative, the film offers a viewing experience that resonates with the works of Terrence Malick and Ingmar Bergman. It explores the transitions between light and dark, midday black and midnight blue, unabashedly delving into the inherent ambiguities and paradoxes of human emotions.

The haunting score by Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum deepens the narrative, providing an aural landscape that accentuates the emotional turmoil of the plot. Shades of Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" resonate in her score, enhancing the dread and tension underlying Ian's mental journey.

"Midday Black Midnight Blue" affirms its status as a distinctive work in experimental cinema. Its narrative intricacies, deft performances, and potent emotional core echo the mournful cries of Bergman's "Cries and Whispers" and the spectral allure of Resnais's "Last Year at Marienbad." It is a haunting elegy sung to the heartbroken and the lost, leaving us eager for where Soule and Talbott's cinematic journey will take them next.

As the film concludes, we find ourselves profoundly altered, akin to Ian stepping out of the shadows of his grief into the blinding midday sun. It is a deeply human and profoundly resonant exploration of love, loss, and redemption that leaves an indelible mark. The cathartic final scene encapsulates the enduring power of human resilience, mirroring the redemptive conclusion of Kieślowski's "Three Colors: Blue."

As someone who has weathered personal tragedies, this film profoundly resonated with me. Its journey is harrowing, the path winding and treacherous, yet in the end, the luminosity of hope illuminates our way through the midday black and midnight blue. It stands as a compelling exploration of the human heart, and for those who've known profound loss, this masterpiece is indeed a shiver for the soul.

Grade A*