Songs My Brothers Taught Me

Watched this to see Chloé Zhao's debut feature and was rewarded with a slow immersion into life on an Indian Reservation in South Dakota. There's a loose plot about a brother and sister who, after the death of a distant father figure, are working out what the future holds for them, but this is much more "scenes from the reservation".

It reminded me of Gummo (a film I love) in its depiction of a world almost without authority figures, where tragedy (In Gummo, a tornado, here; a loss of culture generations past, and decimation from alcohol) seems to leave the inhabitants disoriented, struggling to know what to do.

The performances from the non-professional cast are stellar. Zhao has somehow managed to capture what seems like a slice of real life but in a way that makes even a difficult life seem beautiful and achingly close to something bigger.

I have yet to see The Rider, or Nomadland, but from what I've seen of them, they look to have a similar energy. That Marvel tapped Zhao to direct the upcoming Eternals movie is fascinating. It will be interesting to see how this aesthetic looks when it has a bigger budget, but also must serve a wider audience seeking the next step in a connected narrative. I believe Zhao will deliver something special.