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USA, 2011, 73 Minute Running Time Genre/Subjects: American Indie, Drama, Psychological, Romance Programs: Contemporary World Cinema, New Directors Showcase, Reel Social ClubLanguage: English
DIRECTOR: Sophia Takal Producer: Lawrence Michael LevineEditor: Sophia TakalScreenwriter: Sophia TakalCinematographer: Nandan RaoPrincipal Cast: Kate Lyn Sheil, Sophia Takal, Lawrence Michael Levine
The phrase “green with envy” echoes throughout Green, writer-director-costar Sophia Takal’s unflinching story of love, lust, and crippling jealousy.
Genevieve and her writer-boyfriend Sebastian have left their intellectual community in New York City behind to live in the rural South, where Sebastian is throwing his energies into farming as research for a new book. Ignored and bored, Genevieve succumbs to the overtures of their intrusive, unsophisticated but presumably harmless neighbor, Robin, and the two soon spark an unlikely friendship, going on walks through the woods and exploring their small town. But as the initially condescending Sebastian and Robin warm up to each other, Genevieve begins to feel threatened. Will her jealous fantasies become reality—even self-fulfilling prophecy—or is she simply being paranoid?
Takal’s commanding presence behind the camera is impressively juxtaposed by her subtle portrayal of Robin onscreen—just as the picturesque backdrop of dense woods combines with a haunting soundtrack to create a sense of foreboding and isolation. Intriguingly, Takal’s inspiration for Green came from her own struggles with jealousy—which she aimed to work through by casting her real life fiancé (Lawrence Michael Levine, who also produced Green) as Sebastian and her friend Kate Lyn Sheil as Genevieve. The chemistry and tension among the three are as all-encompassing as the forest that surrounds them. —MATTHEW CAMPBELL