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“All that I know is I’m breathing.”
- From one of the songs on the “Warpaint” soundtrack
Carey and Audrey, the two totes adorbs heroines in Al Benoit’s coming-of-age girl-girl drama “Warpaint” fall delightfully in line with the 20-something year old indie filmmaker’s aesthetic, in that there is (seemingly) no aesthetic—that’s how seamless this fully Kickstarter-funded production is.
In her own words, here’s a nice little backgrounder from the director.
“Warpaint, a short film, tells the story of Carey and Audrey, two seventeen year old girls who fall in love over a summer at their parents lake houses. Warpaint was a passion project, inspired by a someone very close to me. We made it on a very minimal budget and a tight 4 day shooting schedule.
We had just enough budget to rent out the C300, which was extremely lovely. I hope you enjoy our little film.”
As you fall in love with Benoit’s narrative and her characters, you feel like you’re flipping through picture postcards of private, sweet memories. You recall similar memories of your own.
Many kids are self-aware and snarky, sarcastic and so on, but Audrey and Carey only lightly touch upon such nuanced, grownup humor. It’s evident they’re still kids when they argue about one of them almost saying a ‘bad word,’ or saying curse words such as “bull poop.” They’re still figuring things out, and that element is one of the many enchanting elements in “Warpaint.”
There’s no prurience here, only innocence. Even though the characters’ dialogue can be snarky and naughty at times, the vibe is entirely about young women acting their age, 17…both girls are only 17. Nobody’s trying to be precocious here, and as their relationship evolves, romance hits them both as a pleasant yet natural surprise, as they’re both still at that nebulous age where holding hands may or may not be read as having lesbian tendencies. Their relationship is given time to breathe, and they’re able to figure out their own footing, no matter how uncertain the steps are.
Benoit’s directorial work brings to mind the lyricism of filmmaker Ang Lee, in that the soundtrack does a lot of the talking for the characters, and the landscape, environment and scenery evokes much of the mood. No talky dialogue is needed. This filmmakers knows the craft enough to leverage all its pieces and tell a story well. The soundtrack selections are light and playful, at times wistful, glittery, summery, sweeping and reflective.
There’s much laughter…there are many long takes of one girl or another gazing directly at the camera (and into your soul). Much of the sadness and complexity of their love for one another happens off-camera, and is only vaguely referred to in the conversations we get to hear. Their time is limited, and they’re going to make the most of it, as joyfully as possible, paying little or no mind to any restraints, parental pressures, or closets to speak of.
Too, these young women aren’t punished for loving each other or for having lesbian tendencies (that all too common go-to film trope is hopefully so easy and so over), and what the girls go through together is realistic and authentic. Nothing’s easily solved or resolved, but we, along with the characters, see their time together as something to be savored, no matter how bittersweet.
We clock time with the characters as they frolic, muse, sail (yes, child–sailing!), play make believe, run, skip, jump…just all of it. Benoit isn’t afraid to let these young girls go there…stories don’t always have to be about kids who are 17 going on 35. And haven’t you had a gorgeous memory or two memories like that? Y’know, playful, happy?
Sweet?
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Click here to visit writer-director Al Benoit’s homepage:
http://albenoit.virb.com/films
To watch “Warpaint,” please visit LEZREEL:
http://lezreel.blogspot.com/2012/12/warpaint-2012.html
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