Stephanie Daley (2007)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

As Good As It Gets

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

I do have somewhat of a problem with the time device used in the film, the frame narrative that I'm not quite sure works to such extent. I think by just allowing the narrative to go through without resorting to "going back in time" would've made for a much more effective ride. As it is, the film is rather good. Amber Tamblyn and the goddess Tilda Swinton give some strong work here, and both give their characters their much required pathos for which to fully function within the film's structure better. Both are great performances that deserved a lot more attention, but alas, it's good that I sought it out. I definitely recommend this flawed, but strong piece of work.

"Stephanie Daley" is the kind of little indie that is often better than the more heavily publicized Hollywood product it competes for attention with. In this case, director-writer Hilary Brougher has created an interesting tension between pregnant psychologist Tilda Swinton (whose character has previously had a stillborn child) and Amber Tamblyn's 16 year old, charged with killing her own baby. The setting, a conservative,religious small town, is convincingly created from a composite of three different places in upstate New York. Brougher is not afraid to have her cinematographer shoot in a naturalistic way, sometimes leaving figures in darkness. I especially liked the conception in the supporting roles of Satin, a skeptical pudgy schoolmate,played by Caitlin Van Zandt (I hope we will see more of her) but there is also good support from Timothy Hutton as Swinton's husband, and (as expected) Melissa Leo as Tamblyn's mother. I am not surprised that this was a good movie, as usually anything with Tilda Swinton's name on it (she also executive-produced) is worth trying.

There's a great deal of hurt and grief in this movie, so get ready with the Prozac. Neither of these two women have particularly edifying lives... One is a young girl accused of murdering her just born baby, and is a target for hatred by all the neighbourhood, the other has just suffered a miscarriage before falling pregnant again, and her husband may or may not be cheating on her. And that's to say nothing of the poor deer. Yup, if you're looking for a feel good time, better rewatch The Sound Of Music. Just leave me out of it.This is the type of film I can really get my teeth into, with complex emotions and tricky predicaments that challenge the audience. Nothing here is easily resolved, and these crisis can either make or break you. Fortunately, the actors are more than up to the task, with the always excellent Tilda Swinton conveying the psyche of a woman on the edge perfectly, and newcomer Amber Tamblyn as an innocent who makes a choice which she's roundly condemned for, but considering her tender years and inexperience... Who are we to judge? Oh, and going by the ending... The American justice system continues to suck. 7/10

I have no idea why this film, or many of the other Sundance films for that matter, are rated so low on IMDb. It's a shame, because this is a remarkable film.Amber Tamblyn gives the best performance of her career and deserves an Oscar for her subtle, eerie picture of teenage confusion, fear and malice. Tilda Swinton is also very good as the detective investigating Daley's case, and both Melissa Leo and Timothy Hutton give solid backup.See this movie - it is a frightening and eye-opening portrait of real life. ****/*****