Nunca llueve en California

First heard of this film while watching the Film Independent awards. This certainly isn't an uplifting film, but I did go in blind, only knowing the small bit on the IFC awards show for "breakthrough actor" nomination.

Going in blind it first appears to be a coming of age film that takes a bit of a sideways step, as an older (mid to late 30's) guy enters the life of a disconnected young girl, and seems a bit off but he charms his way into her life, while her home life is almost non-existent due to a single mother upbringing and her own mother's penchant for making life mistakes, and in this case repeating them. Tjese mistakes cause more distance between her and the daughter's dynamic. It also sent her firstly into hanging with friends til all hours, and ultimately charmed into what seems like an unhealthy, compulsive relationship with this new, older man.

Again, the narrative seems to take it further down the rabbit hole with the feel of a road movie starting to enter the overall feel of the storyarc---like a "forbidden relationship" that may take them on a journey. Until it doesn't.

It takes the turn that structured families fear may happen, and unstructured---feels almost inevitable.

Lily McInerney as Lea captures pure unadulterated innocence and vulnerability that this new "man" takes advantage of. Her damaged upbringing becomes her downfall, but instead of drugs and homelessness---we get something a bit more harrowing when you couple Lea's vulnerable state with her naivity.

Script is lean and mean, score is perfect in the right spots, adding tension when there is, and Gretchen Mol's role as the detached mother takes a back seat to quite a riveting performance by McInerney who is not only convincingly smart and real, it should also hit home to any parent that has a young daughter and the trepidation that some parents may feel when their daughter leaves the house making the same poor decisions that the mother has instilled. It's a dangerous cycle and the outcome of the final act shows just that. A pure gutpunch.

Pure and real independent film making at it finest.

8.5/10.

Very solid first feature film from director Jamie Dack.

Really nice little indie coming of age film.

Peaceful and realistic slice of life kinda story.

I really liked it.

It was really nicely crafted.

I could understand motivations of every character.

There were some really nice family and frienship drama that i did relate in some levels.

But i can also see that this film will be very divisive.

There has been lot of conversations about age gap relationships in films lately.

But in this film that relationship is clearly supposed to be super uncomfortable and inappropriate.

And i mean super uncomfortable at so many momens.

Red flags were seen everywhere.

But i can really see that these kinda relationships are happening in real life.

Really well made film.

Nice looking.

Really naturalistic.

Mostly no soundtrack at all.

Nice performances.

I can see that Lily McInerney has bright future ahead.

She was really good in this.

Nice supporting performances too.

If this gets some really good studio to distribute it, i can really see it finding own audience.

I really hope so.

Or then it wil remain as little Sundance hidden gem.

I enjoyed my time watching this.

In telling a cautionary tale, a film must be on point if its message is to be effectively conveyed. Regrettably, such is not the case in this story of a silver-tongued, 34-year-old sexual predator (Jonathan Tucker) in his efforts to win the affections of a disconnected adolescent from a fragmented household (Lily McInerny) and manipulate her into a life of degrading, subservient behavior. It's a troubling tale, to be sure, one that has an important point to make. However, the execution leaves much to be desired. The film's glacial pacing (especially in the first half) becomes tedious quickly, particularly with the inclusion of considerable needless incidental footage depicting mundane everyday activities, events that are undoubtedly intended to reflect the teen's monotonous worldview but that grow eminently tiresome in short order. This is compounded by uneven character development, most notably that of the vulnerable protagonist, whose persona wavers wildly from incisively streetwise to exceedingly naïve and plainly outspoken to severely inhibited, undermining the believability of who she's really supposed to be and her reactions to the circumstances she faces. That's perhaps nowhere more apparent than in the conclusion, which, in my view, also stretches credibility somewhat (though I know there are those who would definitely beg to differ with me on that point). To its credit, the performances are all quite good, having earned two of the picture's four Independent Spirit Award nominations for the portrayals turned in by Tucker and McInerny. Still, this overlong offering suffers from both the aforementioned issues, as well as some questionable camera work and a need for tighter editing. Writer-director Jamie Dack's debut feature may have its origins in good intentions, but its followthrough frequently - and often widely - misses the mark.

Palm trees and Power Lines is the story of a bored girl who is emerging on adolescence. She meets a much older man who seems to understand her like she wishes others did.

So per my IMDb page I have seen 439 horror movies in my life... plus obviously many others. This film is without a doubt one of the most cringy and disturbing I have ever seen. This is not for the feint of heart. It also may not go in the direction you immediately assume.

The screen play is spot on , crafting a realistic story and character motivations. The acting and casting here is also very strong with Lily McInerny playing a girl 5 years younger than she is in real life to protection. You feel her frustrations with her circumstances and lack of belonging. Johnathon Tucker also plays his character very well in a role that demands a certain level of performance.

The only negatives I can even conjure up here is the entire film is shot on hand help and sometimes it becomes jarring to watch. Mundane conversations can be unappealing to look at and it isn't shot the best.

This movie absolutely nails what it was going for and should be seen by the right group of people but it isn't for everyone just the same. If you can take being shocked, offended and challenged by a take on a coming of age story - this is a great film.

Yes difficult to watch but very convincing. My daughter who is a psychologist works for a charity that counsel teenage Mothers and I know from talking to her how difficult and sometimes impossible it is to make these people see that the relationship they are in is really toxic. It doesn't always come from a particular type of girl some have a reasonable back story in as much as it isn't full of trauma and neglect but still they are attracted to a wrong'un and they won't be talked out of it. I don't know if some were not happy with an unsatisfying ending but that's how it goes in real life, people don't just suddenly wake up and see the mistake they made. Abusers are not always pimptastic and obviously abusive, some are very practiced and subtle and sadly that keeps their victim where they want them.