Direction: Dan Sallitt
Country: USA
A good friendship is certainly a life-enhancing blessing, especially when the people involved contribute selflessly. Well, that’s not exactly the case with the two well-built female characters in Fourteen, a modern-day drama set in New York. Here, a childhood bond deteriorates over the course of a decade and the reasons behind that transformation, which gradually shifts from closeness to estrangement, are subtler than just having distinct personalities and approaches to life, as well as opposite states of mind and ambitions.
Contrasting with Mara (Tallie Medel), a teacher’s aide, who is very generous, unfailing, and down-to-earth, Jo (Norma Kuhling), a social worker, emerges as a volatile, irresponsible and needy person, struggling with a more serious problem than temporary alcohol and drug addictions. The painful emotional conflicts she goes through and the frequent selfish posture adopted keep away partners and friends, undermining her chances to be happy.
The American writer/director Dan Sallitt (The Unspeakable Act, 2012) finds the right narrative pulse for this slight tale, which develops with emotional insight and cerebral pragmatism. The filmmaking is simple and focused (with Maurice Pialat as a major influence); the performances engage in naturalistic intensities; and the New York background provides it a special touch that, together with the dramatic stimuli of the story, are enough to warrant a more than satisfactory viewing.
Contradicting a recent tendency in the independent drama genre, Fourteen has a darker edge to it, but refuses to fall into immoderately lugubrious places, often plunging the inner disquietness of each character into an apparent tranquility and dissolving it in the daily life routines.
