Movie Review-Bones and All

 

Facts: I am not a professional critic. I am not in the entertainment industry. I am not a writer by trade. 

Why am I writing a review about Bones and All when I have never done such a thing before. Why do I feel I have a right to do so? Why do I want to? 

Here are some reasons:

1)  I love cinema. I love everything that goes into the making of a film. Every last detail, including the messaging and marketing of it. I find all of it fascinating and as I age, I just want to learn more and more. So, I study it in a way. The films that affect me the most are the ones where it doesn't feel like people are acting. There is no hyperbole or grandiose over-acting. Just authentic, artistic expression.

2)  I love writing. I may not be very skilled or talented but I write from the heart. I express myself in writing in ways I find difficult expressing in person sometimes.

3)  For those interested in seeing a film, it might be helpful to read a review from an average person in the world who happens to love movies. Personally, I love gaining perspective and learning different opinions on anything, really. Learning from more than just a professional viewpoint. 

When someone looks at a piece of art, listens to a song, watches a dance or sees a film, they are taking in that experience through the lens of their own history, culture, experiences, nature, and perspective. I truly believe that the world is more meaningful because of our uniqueness and because of our diverse experiences. I look for similarities but appreciate differences. I love learning those viewpoints. Maybe you'll appreciate a different viewpoint for this film. 

4)  I love an underdog. I love films where the collaboration is strong. In this case, where the filmmakers believed in the story and each other so much that they didn’t take a salary at first. Where the art came first. Where the story isn't typical or mainstream but the messages are still there for anyone who is willing to watch with an open mind. I consider Bones and All to be an underdog, a beautiful and amazing underdog. 

Here it goes: There are mild spoilers here but I actually think that it is okay to know them before watching the movie. I knew a ton going into the theatre and I believe that only enhanced my experience.

I read Bones and All by Camille DeAngelis twice once I learned that it was going to be made into a movie. I always enjoy reading source material and I suppose I read the novel knowing some of the filmmakers were attached to the movie. In hindsight I probably read it with a more specific voice in my head. I still have to think on that one a bit. I have read and watched many, many interviews with almost, if not everyone attached to Bones and All. I guess in many ways I have studied this film. The screenplay by David Kajganich is simply superb and a beautiful adaptation of the book. I read an article with him about the major differences between the two and the reasons why and I agreed with all of them actually. 

I know. I know. It seems crazy that I would focus my time on a horror/romance film with cannibalism in it no less. One of my favorite films is Call Me By Your Name. Luca Guadagnino directed that film and since seeing that a few years ago I have tried to watch everything in his repertoire. He is a true auteur. I have read interviews where Luca Guadagnino discusses his art. Simply put, I believe he is brilliant. He has this remarkable talent of creating a community and a safe space where actors are able and encouraged to find and display raw human emotion. That is pretty rare. I am going to watch anything his name is attached to, period. I know that whatever he works on is going to have meaning. It is going to be authentic. It is going to be relatable in some way and it is going to be beautiful. Bones and All definitely fell into that category. 

The last movie I saw in the theatre before the pandemic was Little Women. I loved the book and I found the 2019 version unbelievably moving. The acting and the direction of Greta Gerwig (another amazing director) were just very special. Timothée Chalamet was in that film and it was the first time I saw his acting. I was struck by his talent as well as that of Saoirse Ronan and Florence Pugh. During Covid, I started watching their work. It was then I found Call Me By Your Name. I have seen that film multiple times and I will watch anything with Timothée Chalamet in it for the same reasons that I watch anything directed by Luca Guadagnino. Knowing Timothée Chalamet and Michael Stuhlbarg were in this movie, along with Mark Rylance, just intrigued me, especially after reading the book. It made me want to learn more.

I wrote a blog post about Bones and All when it competed at the Venice Film Festival, months before it actually was released in theatres. (Click here to read it). This week I saw Bones and All twice. The first time I saw this film, it stayed with me. After the credits rolled and long after I left the theatre, it still stayed with me. That in itself says something. The second time in the theatre I truly loved it, bones and all. 

This film is a story of a teenager who is abandoned by her father and as a result is on a journey to find herself, her story, her independence in a world on her own. She meets others like her who challenge the kind of person she wants to be and what she wants from her future. The love story begins when she meets Lee and it really is beautiful.

I urge everyone to give this movie a chance, despite the subject matter. It is uncomfortable in parts but please look for the metaphors for they are plentiful. Look at what the cannibalism represents in 1980s rural America and in America today. For me, the cannibalism represents the most ugly parts of ourselves that make us feel truly alone. Then what happens when you find yourself and unconditional love in the eyes of someone else and seeing how truly terrifying, beautiful, precious, fragile and life-affirming that can be. It also represents loss and that there is pain in growth. Some of the most beautiful moments in life are also the most tragic and with discomfort comes space. I think if we are all honest with ourselves we have felt alone, on the outside of fitting in and without a voice. The characters and the story are relatable in that way, for this viewer anyway. 

Bones and All is beautifully disturbing. The emotional complexity in this film is intense and is what sticks with me. From the very first image on the screen, I was drawn into the film. Luca Guadagnino has said we don't watch horror movies to witness death so much as to feel alive. This rings true. The cinematography is mind-blowing and Arseni Khachaturan deserves a special shout-out for that. The acting by every single person is hauntingly incredible. The complexity in simple expressions are captivating. The direction. The lasting shots. The score. The music and the setting are pivotal characters in the film. The ability of Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet to play broken, tortured souls who are able to find themselves in each other is heartbreaking and really phenomenal. There’s one scene I wish they had shown more because it was such a crucial moment in their relationship. 

One of my favorite interviews was where they broke down the scene where they first met. It reminded me of the interview with Michael Stuhlbarg and Timothée Chalamet where they broke down every scene in Call Me By Your Name. The more I know about films and their background, the more invested I am. I could listen to everyone talk about the filming process for hours. 

When you hear about Bones and All and what it is about, your first impression might be to pass. This is not a film for everyone. But if you can look past gore, please go see it. I have no idea about this but I think some of the gore has been edited out, even since it was first shown. I didn't find it off-putting. Just be prepared for it, that's all. See the film for what it is. A beautiful piece of art made by people who believe in the expression and the experience. It's pretty remarkable. Congratulations to everyone involved (and to Timothée Chalamet's first producing credit at 26 years old)! 

4/5 stars or 93%. 

A side note: I write poetry on a site called The Marrow now. Click here to read.  In this format, I have tried fiction for the first time in a series called the club.  There are 3 chapters out - take a look! 

Choose kindness. Every gesture counts. Peace and love always.