Red Knot takes a relationship that’s lost it’s spark, puts it into an icy situation, and let’s their partnership unravel before us, trapped in a sinking ship of their own making. Young and newly married and living in New York, the two make a spontaneous decision to take a belated honeymoon on-board a research vessel en route to Antarctica. It’s out at sea, confined to small and unromantic living quarters where bitterness and resentment begin to settle in. Director Scott Cohen allows for the scenery to tell much of this internal story, allowing the crisp and never ending horizons to play the third character who drives a wedge between the two.
What makes Red Knot as compelling as it is is the fact that the fights that happen between newlyweds Peter (Vincent Kartheiser) and Chloe (Olivia Thirlby) are almost too realistic. Fight’s don’t always culminate from a massive blow out. Fight’s aren’t always the result of scandalous or sinister behavior; much more often they’re the result of nagging bits of information, sideways glances that read as wrong, gut feelings that let you know the person you’re with isn’t happy. Chloe watches as her husband plays the part of adventurous author, which she finds distasteful, especially when she’s sidelined due to it. A trip that was supposed to be a their time together has turned into his excuse to rub shoulders with other world traveling authors. We understand her loneliness and need to lash out as she finds Peter settling into a routine where she comes second to the work that he does.The two keep secrets and they’re passive aggressive, it’s quick that the lightness they shared and the sweet, innocent romance is tainted.
Cohen uses an abundance of scenery footage to a fault and while it’s beautiful to look at and it allows for the isolation Chloe’s feeling to become more tangible, it also grows old quick. In a sense Cohen is using the footage as another layer of dialogue. In one moment the world surrounding them seems barren and lonely, and the next second we see it come alive. It’s dependent on the characters and it’s an interesting way to tell the story but it’s certainly not for those who grow restless easily. Even at it’s brief running time it’s not entirely sustainable on the gorgeous cinematography alone.
Kartheiser and Thirlby do serviceable work, both young and talented actors. The former is obviously well known for Peter on Mad Men while Thirbly has done steady work over the years, a frequent face in the independent world. Their chemistry feels lived in and when they fight it rings true.
It’s a quiet, introspective look at young love, it’s follies and joys no matter how short lived. It’s not going to captivate everyone but it will find it’s small audience. At it’s best it’s a carefully drawn portrait of two characters, a character study drowning in the surrounding beauty. At it’s least it’s weak narrative not quite able to sustain itself entirely due to performances that fail to captivate. It’s a nice movie, a pretty movie and it says some things to say that are closer to home than other relationship dramas but it fails to offer up anything new or elicit any strong emotions on either side.
6.5/10
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