She Cannot Outrun the INFINITE STORM

 

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from director Malgorzata Szumowska and Bleecker Street is the true story of a life change when she least expects the INFINITE STORM.

Pam Bales (Naomi Watts) is an experienced climber who packs intently to spend the day hiking up Mount Washington, New Hampshire after telling friend Parker (Denis O’Hare). Climbing to the top of a peak, she sees that a blizzard is heading her way and begins to climb down. As the wind picks up, she struggles to stay on her feet but notices a set of footprints that look strangely out of place.

Following each step, it leads her to a man sitting as the storm swirls around him. Dressed in shorts, tennis shoes and nothing to keep him warm. The man refuses to respond to Pam who is yelling over the sound of the wind. Trying to get him covered the best she can with what is in her backpack; Pam struggles to get the man to cooperate.

Giving him the name ‘John’ (Billy Howle), Pam navigates him through the snow as best she can. The storm is relentless, but she knows that if they are both to survive, she must keep John awake and motivated to continue. Even when they are able to stop for moments, Pam realizes that there is something emotionally going on with John.

Finally at the bottom, Pam realizes that her own tragedy has kept her from moving forward and perhaps their journey saved each other!

Watts as Pam has taken the character out of the world and into a life where she does not feel the need to have people around her. Everyone has a past, but Pam has a past filled with a pain that has basically caused her to live a paralyzed life. Hiking in the mountains gives her a reason to steer clear of humanity. The snowstorm and John pushes Watt’s character to remember that life is precious and that even with unforeseeable tragedies, Pam can be part of the world in a wonderful way.      

Howle as ‘John’ is a frozen human during a snowstorm that is equal in emotional and physical pain. Being pushed to survive by a stranger, John fights at every turn making things even more dangerous for both Pam and himself. Howle’s character has his own story to tell yet, like his journey of survival, he will tell it in small steps.

Bleecker Street is a New York City film company that has brought outstanding films to the public. Their library includes TRUMBO, DENIAL, THE LOST CITY OF Z, BEIRUT, HOTEL MUMBAI, ORDINARY LOVE and THE ROADS NOT TAKEN. For more information on the titles from Bleeker Street please visit www.bleeckerstreetmedia.com.

INFINITE STORM is based on the Ty Gagne article High Places: Footprints in the Snow Lead to an Emotional Rescue written about Pam Bales. Joshua Rollins wrote the screenplay based on that article to bring the film to screen. 

Watts turns in a stellar performance as Pam Bales and has proved for the second time in a few weeks that she is perfectly capable of carrying a film on her own. In February she starred in THE DESPERATE HOURS as a mother who is miles from home when her children are in danger and now with INFINITE STORM, she carries the story of a woman who must break away from her past.

This film is a dual fight for both Pam and ‘John’, the fight for survival against Mother Nature who has her own weather plan and the fight with emotional pain from tragic events in both their lives. The character of Pam is a woman who hikes to not think about it until she is put in a position to ignore her pain any longer, Watts gives us all of that emotion and more.

In the end – the mountain brought them together!

SWALLOW is Riveting and Masterful

Jeri Jacquin 

Coming to theatres from writer/director Carlo Mirabello-Davis and IFC Films comes the story of perception, perfection and trauma with SWALLOW. 

Hunter Conrad (Haley Bennett) is a young woman married to successful husband Richie (Austin Stowell). Moving into a new home, she wants everything to be perfect for him. Richie works for his successful father Michael (David Rasche) while Hunter spends moments with mother-in-law Katherine (Elizabeth Marvel). 

Never quite sure of her status in the family, Hunter cooks dinners, always looks spot on perfect and lets everyone else do the talking. When Katherine gives her a book that suggests Hunter try something different in life – she does.  

Starting to swallow small objects, it becomes something she can’t control and to make matters worse, Hunter discovers she is pregnant. Of course, Richie and his parents are thrilled with the new addition but have no idea what is actually happening. 

When she is discovered, her life becomes even more complicated than before being diagnosed with a disorder called Pica. Seeing a therapist, Hunter still isn’t sure who she is and avoids serious issues. She tries to keep her life beautiful but Richie and parents aren’t making it easy. 

The problem is that the issues are right below the surface and it’s time Hunter took her own life in a direction of healing, but it isn’t going happen without great cost. 

Bennett as Hunter is absolutely stunning and even those words don’t seem to give her the accolades she deserves. Her character is such a haunted and tortured soul and with every move Bennett makes, it comes through frame by frame of film. There isn’t a moment Bennett doesn’t test us to go through the story with her without literally guttural reactions – and I had a few. 

Stowell as Richie is a husband who is use to the good life and with his parents help continues to have the good life. Hunter is his arm candy to round out his perfect life. He is detached from what is happening to his wife because it's easier to let everyone else deal with it. 

Marvel as Katherine is that mother-in-law who takes swipes with a smile on her face. No one is ever going to be good enough for her son and she doesn’t mind saying so in her own unique way. Rasche as Michael is a man who knows what he wants and doesn’t mind controlling everyone and everything around him – that includes his wife, son and daughter-in-law. 

Other cast include: Maya Days as Dr. Santos, Elise Santora as Dr. Reyes, Laith Nakli as Luay, and Denis O’Hare as Erwin. 

SWALLOW is an intense and emotional film about a woman who lives under the umbrella of perfection. In doing so she continues to stuff her past further down and convinces herself that life perfection is the only way to survive. 

This is a difficult film to watch at times yet important to watch as well. Pica is a serious disorder that can lead to iron-deficiency and anemia. Items that are ingested are non-food items and there are there are many treatments available for those who suffer from Pica. For more information please visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.  

Bennett carries the film with a demeanor that is soft and demure but there are moments where I see Hunter wants to just spill everything out. She is mesmerizing and I’ll say it again, stunning to watch. Carrying a film is difficult in itself but I can’t imagine the story being told without Bennett telling it. 

In the end – open up.