Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: THE BLAZING WORLD [Sundance Film Festival 2021 - Virtual]
The ideal of trauma within the essence of the psyche depends on the impact. But with "The Blazing World" [NEXT], it is floated within the context of a twin sister lost. What is interesting in Carlson Young's debut feature based on her short film (she also stars) is how ambitious it is from an undeniable visual point of view but also with tinges of intricate character drama. The beginning brings to mind almost a removed-from-city version of "The Neon Demon". It floats in aspects about how this surviving twin sees the world. The context is based in that she loses her twin sister early in the movie (and early in life). This forms the basis of an indeterminate amount of psychosis compounded by her fighting parents. But what is interesting here is its manifestation. There are elements of odes to Kubrick through and through: a wall of water, a synth score (which is brilliantly haunting at times) and of course the context of the twin sisters (which is an iconic part of imagery from "The Shining").
The first half of the film functions in a certain basis to set up expectations. The second half is a completely other world, bathed in metaphor, both in terms of visual effects but also notions of perspective. Young really dives in and, while her character is traumatized, she plays it with a sort of innocence that only breaks when it truly has to. It is an interesting choice. Dermot Mulroney plays her father. Mulroney has leaned into playing these darker characters in the most recent part of his career. The hurt both on his and his daughter's face (Young) is really interesting because, at one point, Young's face seems like it is her as a younger girl. It might be digital trickery or just very good acting.
Young's Margaret goes through different layers of self-destruction, but it seen in more metaphysical and metaphorical ways yet visually represented either by claustrophobia or isolation in open spaces. Without giving too much away, her interaction through three specific levels ranges within a color spectrum but also the temperature at which her character operates and the environment however adjusted, she finds herself in. Again, it is very ambitious but the film shows a control of facilities and visual style while allowing her still able to be in front of the camera and maintain undeniable focus. Not every actor/director can do that, especially when effects are involved. There are also odes to everything from "Alice In Wonderland" to "The Wizard Of Oz" depending what metaphors of life, path and psyche are reflected in the viewer. "The Blazing World" balances between two extremes but keep a steady and visually ambitious hand while telling a character story wrapped in the psychosis of a character needing to release her pain. B+
By Tim Wassberg
