Director: James Franco.
Starring: James Franco, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny McBride, Logan Marshall-Green, Ahna O’Reilly.
Running Time: 110 minutes.
Synopsis: Based on the 1930 classic by William Faulkner, it is the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her family’s quest to honour her wish to be buried in the nearby town of Jefferson.
As we all know, some films are terrible but enjoyable. AS I LAY DYING is quite the opposite; it is a compelling and engrossing piece of work that will stay with you long after the brilliant final scene, but is by no means enjoyable.
Franco dishes out the misery like we’re standing in line at a soup kitchen, which is very much in tune with William Faulkner’s doom-laden masterpiece. The buzzards that circle the family throughout their road trip to Hell are a non-too-subtle symbol of what is to come. Considering it’s a Depression-era tragedy concerning a family transporting their mother’s coffin across the state, you know you’re not going to get Leslie Nielsen popping up. And, while it’s exquisite in its ways, it will likely test your endurance.
The writer/director goes all out at creating a distinct visual identity and doesn’t rely on nature doing all the work. It’s not difficult to make a beautiful looking film in Mississippi, as the sprawling landscapes at sunset would look awe-inspiring in most directors’ hands. But his cinematographer Christina Voros captures the essence of the land wonderfully while young James and his editor Ian Olds play with cinematic language with their extensive use of split screen. Often using the approach to show a character talking on one side of the screen with their face from moments earlier on the other, we get to see moments of reflection simultaneous to dialogue or exposition. It’s a clever means of drawing the eye unexpectedly and creates a mosaic in what is already a visually arresting film. Some may consider it gimmicky and they may have a point, but it’s a unique look and serves the film well.
Franco himself is perfectly fine as Darl, until his final scene which is about as convincing as a giant spider in a bowler hat trying to get into a Laurel and Hardy convention. Logan Marshall-Green and Jim Parrack are far more compelling as his luckless brothers, and young Brady Permenter is heartbreakingly good as little Vardaman. The show would have been stolen by Ahna O’Reilly as Dewey, whose sad eyes and growing desperation rip your emotions to shreds, but the film belongs to Tim Blake Nelson as patriarch Anse. Is it pure devotion or mindless obsession that compels him to drag his poor family so far from home to bury his wife? Franco lets you decide, but Nelson is never less than brilliant, his physicality and often incomprehensible delivery telling a story of a man at war with himself, who tried to do right by his kin and is now spiralling with them. He should well be in contention for some big awards here.
AS I LAY DYING is incredibly intense, pretty depressing and will leave you downright miserable. But that is infinitely better than making you feel nothing. It’s better to be sad than apathetic and James Franco’s direction continues to show a lot of promise. Gimmicky? Maybe. Pretentious? Possibly. But it is very affecting, even if you won’t want to watch it twice.
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