Thomas M. Wright He directed his first major film. After acute misfortunedrama released in 2018, Stranger presented as a production in which the director as well as the screenwriter of this movie, shows a tone and mode of narration that is as poetic as it is interesting. While it’s not easy – and it can affect viewing – it’s still attractive.
By using StrangerThomas M. Wright tells the story of Mark, a police officer played by Joel Edgerton who, along with a whole corps of intelligence, is trying to track down the suspect. This goal is interpreted Sean Harris, as Henry Teague, the main person involved in the disappearance of a child. Through a network of officials and characters moving in and out of the story, Mark and Henry end up traveling in the same car to different locations.
Then the poetic games of director and screenwriter Thomas M. Wright begin, for whom landscape, sharp cuts and symbolic sequences are important at the moment of narration. In this search, the actors playing Mark and Henry offer much, if not all, to make the writer’s job easier. Result? Stranger save one of Joel Edgerton’s best performancesable to appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi and then head to the shores of an upscale author’s cinema.
essence Stranger This is to clarify a fact that worries the police, a cold case, like many others that in the history of cinema have been adapted from real events. The difference from other more linear productions is that Thomas M. Wright leads the story to confront their own beliefs and fears..
Strangermore than a police story
The story develops as the relationship between Mark and Henry is built under the influence of a drug ring in a theater set up by the police to find the other. As their connection develops, various seemingly meaningless phrases, episodes and scenes begin to fit into the narrative. As you listen to the programs, questions arise. Is he responsible or not for what he is accused of? Does Mark play a dual role? What role does Mark’s son play in this story? Why such an interest in the landscape, in the huge forest, topped by a mountain, there, in the background?
These are not the only questions that Thomas M. Wright raises. One of the possible answers in their games is that “the tree must not cover the forest”. Spread: The shadow of the mountain should not distract from the focus point. There is history in these trees. Another reading could be of Mark as an imposing figure with some moral edge over Henry. However, over time, even these prospects are clouded.
The director, through ambitious shots in which he can reflect or draw on the landscape to tell the story, crafts a story where tension never reaches a breaking point. His production is the envy of those who were able to see him at the Cannes Film Festival on the big screen. Although his tension is not sustained, the feeling that something is about to open accompanies everyone. movie. When it’s not an issue between his main characters, the secondary characters come into play to balance and twist some more to Stranger.
film language
Thomas M. Wright
This comes from the ethical and moral interests that they have. What makes a police officer continue to investigate, ignoring the lack of sufficient evidence? How significant could be the damage to the investigation if the next step exposes those involved and leads nowhere? Characters such as Detective Rylette, played by Jada Albertsand Detective Eakin, played by Fletcher Humphreysintersect with these questions. His behavior also invites the viewer to ponder the ethics of the police, perhaps summarized in donuts and petty conflicts.
Featuring these minor characters; the landscape as a resource for telling and giving rhythm to the story; music by Oliver Coates to support himself in creating intrigue; and photography – by Sam Chiplin – to lead the viewer between light, shadows and interesting compositions, Stranger It grows over minutes. It’s a film that doesn’t want to open itself up with mere hypotheses..
At times, it seems like his story unfolds and then spins back around, while the director’s performances continue to happen as part of his language. He seems to be interested in his viewer paying attention to everything, maybe that’s why his script also skips some clues between sentences, but not too many until the end. Stranger. When the truth about the case is revealed, Joel Edgerton’s character seems to fall into a kind of depression. Thus, the director concludes his essay on phantom limbs and how something alien can apparently spread through a creature until it consumes it.
Stranger available on Netflix from October 19, 2022.
