Outside In

Jay Duplass, Edie Falco

Kaitlyn Dever

"Things are Never the Same on the Outside"

NETFLIX

The plot seems simple enough - an ex convict is released after 20 years for a crime he didn't commit, through the advocacy of his former HS teacher. Yet at the story unfolds we realize it isn't that simple. A side plot offers some complexity to an otherwise average drama.

Chris (Jay Duplass) is fetched from prison by his brother Ted. Although the crime is not re-enacted, the audience does have a sense more or less of what actually occurred through a muddled voice-over. The thing is Chris is totally innocent yet served 20 years incarceration. 

Now 38 years old awkward and shy Chris must adapt to a very uncertain future. He tries applying for several jobs yet his one passion remains his romantic feelings towards his former teacher. Carol (Edie Falco) is stuck in a loveless marriage and has a complicated relationship with her teenage daughter Hildy (Kaitlyn Dever). Fully aware of Chris's crush on her but staying true to her married vows.

Eventually, an event leads Carol into Chris's arms and although we want to cheer them on, it isn't the happy ending we all long for. Or is it? I am not spoiling the fluid ending. It is up to the audience to formulate their own conclusion(s), alright?

Jay Duplass is a familiar face if you watched the eccentric yet amusingly entertaining TV show "Transparent". His characterization of Chris is subdued. A stoic outward appearance yet deep inside he is very conflicted with his feelings. There is nothing much to say about Edie Falco's brilliant acting talent. She is fantastic in any role and as Carol, she is in true form. 

"Outside In" (#81 in the best 250 films on Netflix) proves that even though it may be a small budget movie, it still kicks in a lot of punch in its narrative. A compassionate and absorbing story set in a small town with great performances from its two main leads.

P.S.

RIP to its director, Lynn Shelton who died recently. Gone too soon, just 54.

Blue Jay

Sarah Paulson, Mark Duplass

NETFLIX

On May 1, a Rotten Tomatoes article listed the 250 best movies on Netflix, it was a rather interesting mix of original Netflix movies as well as those which were released in cinema theaters. I tend to navigate towards small, independent movies which may have limited budget costs yet are still quality films that pull no punches. 

Blue Jay, # 188 in the list stars Mark Duplass as Jim who is based in Arizona and works in construction. Upon his mother's death,  he returns to his hometown in California to sort out her affairs. While at the grocery, he runs into his former long time girlfriend Amanda (Sarah Paulson) who is visiting her pregnant sister. 

At first, it was awkward and a bit of a shock for the both of them. Over coffee, they get re-acquainted as it has been 20 years since they kept in touch. As night falls, they continue to reminisce at Jim's ancestral house. They embark on a very nostalgic trip, even re-enacting their little make believe skit complete with a Annie Lennox song, "No More, I Love You's", a 1990s classic.

While going through some items in Jim's former room, Amanda discovers a letter in a sealed envelope addressed to her. This letter plays a pivotal role in their relationship, eons ago. It is opened in the final few minutes of the film and it is like a Pandora box of past regrets. A painful yet significant event in their past which I believed shaped their lives, without them fully realizing it.

This film is entirely in black and white, and was shot over the course of 7 days in Crestline, California. A small town in the San Bernardino mountains which we don't really see much of since the leads are mostly indoors. Mark Duplass along with his older brother,  actor Jay have a film production company which mostly roll out independent movies.

Sarah Paulson has a very refreshing face even though Blue Jay is in black and white, her striking features still shine through. Mark Duplass tend to portray lonely, good guys in most of his films and as Jim, he is in true character form. Together, Amanda and Jim's chemistry is palpable. It feels like one is eavesdropping on a couple who were in a deeply pure relationship in their teenage years until an unplanned incident led to their separation. Even if they haven't kept in touch, they seem to pick off from the time they were in their teens, albeit in a guarded position.

The last few minutes was intense with the revelation of the contents of the letter coming to the fore. It begs the questions: if the letter was read when they were still together, would they be a happily married couple now? Or it won't make much difference and they would still break up?

So yes I was left with more questions than answers. But allow me to merit a guess - I believe it made Amanda stronger and wiser to face life head on because as much as I hate to admit it, Jim will always be happier in a small town setting. The fact that he remained single proves he is not that mature to handle what life throws at him. Amanda married a much older guy and this just proves she needed maturity and guidance in her life.

I'm not a psychologist nor a psychiatrist but merely a keen observer of human behaviors and patterns. So I'm glad I chanced upon this gem of an independent movie because it had depth, passion and more drama therefore the need to put my thinking hat on - which in my book is a good thing. =)