directed by Amber McGinnis
It's by far the best movie I've seen in 2020. International Falls carries a message and tells a story with which people are probably very familiar but all the same the director puts her own twist and interpretation on it. She mixes drama and absurd comedy in a way that is very realistic and often poignant.
In the hands of a lesser director or more intrusive studio this film would have found the time to grind various ideological axes or go for the grossout humor. McGinnis, thankfully didn't make any concessions to people looking for that sort of thing. This is a generally unsparing look at how people deal with life when things aren't quite going their way. The casting of the two leads is spot on. I simply can't imagine any other actors/actresses providing this sort of performance.
The film is occasionally silly but I wouldn't describe this as a knockout laugher. This is not a farce, full of slapstick and physical humor. This is not a movie for kids, not because of the adult themes, of which there are plenty, but because this film will appeal most to people who have lived long enough to have regrets and recognize mistakes but aren't too old to change their future.
The film finds a little humor in those tones; one or two of the actors appear to lay it on quite thick.
Dee (Rachael Harris) is a hotel clerk/manager of a certain age who works in International Falls, Minnesota. She grew up there, went to college close by, married a fellow native, Gary (Matthew Glave) and has two daughters with Gary. The slightly built Dee normally keeps everything bottled up inside, which can make it equally humorous and scary when she loses it and reveals her true thoughts. Dee's strained smiles hide a lot of sadness. Dee is in an unhappy marriage with Gary. It's not just Gary's odd porn addiction.
Gary's unfaithful, though Dee is pretending ignorance. Gary's infidelity and the perceived insult (intended or not) to Dee's attractiveness are not even Dee's primary concerns. Dee has always wanted to be a standup comedian, to the point where her co-workers buy her how-to books on the subject. Dee thinks that life is passing her by more and more quickly. But she hasn't yet found the courage to change her career.
So when a tall, handsome, divorced, comedian named Tim (Rob Huebel) stops into the hotel for a two night engagement, Dee is primed to talk to him, learn from him and offer some special hospitality. There's a problem though. Tim is depressed, self-hating, burnt out, and HATES, really, really really HATES his chosen career path.
Tim displays subtle disdain and later open hostility for the people of International Falls. As Dee and Tim interact with one another and let their guard down, each discovers some good and bad things about themselves. They also, willingly or not, teach each other about life. There's some bleakness, ok, a lot of bleakness, but there is also joy and growth.
Again, this is an adult movie. Though people occasionally do some bad things, I don't think the film has villains. Dee's description of Gary's ineptness at failing to clear his PC browsing history and phone call history is not a "gotcha" moment of female revenge so much as it is a rueful acceptance of a spouse's shortcomings.
The director avoids the obvious storylines. The movie's soundtrack, composed by Eric Shimelonis, fits the film's scenes so doggone perfectly that I was reminded of Amelie, which did the same thing. The film shifts tones gradually and realistically. Life is bittersweet and so was this film. I loved it. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
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