Maude

My first review of the 2022 film festival season and I must say I fear that it will all go down from here. As a director, it is my job to see problems, weaknesses and failures in my own work, and as a festival judge, I look for the same in the films I view. But I'm afraid that despite my critical eye, I couldn't find a damn thing wrong with the film. Okay, okay, one thing bugged me: the sound design in the first dream sequence of Maude sipping the cocktail - it sounded like she was sipping the last of the cocktail even though it was half-full (or half-empty, depending on your disposition). But besides that, it was an endearingly lovely film with a reverberating sense of deep longing and the eternal fear of regret, underscored beautifully by a haunting cello. The casting and acting was superb. Kathryn Pogson's Maude was the blazing sun that all the other characters orbited around by the sheer power and strength of her gravitational pull. And the other characters held their own, all of them shining brightly and only adding to the depth of Maude's happiness or sorrow reflected in themselves. Toby Frow's direction was self-assured, guided by an excellent script from Emily Marcuson. The beautiful photography and steady sound blended harmoniously, and the edit was crisp, as if not a frame was out of place, extended too long or cut to short. Thank you for the pleasure of viewing this film.