Eliza Hittman's follow-up to Beach Rats is another compelling character study whose power lies in the silence and unsaid. Making her acting debut, Sidney Flanigan stars as Autumn, an introverted 17-year-old living in Pennsylvania who learns she is pregnant and must travel for an abortion.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a film of remarkable restraint, quietly and thoroughly observant while unwaveringly empathetic as Autumn's journey plays out with both sensitivity and realism. On both writing and directing duties, Hittman crafts a moving piece that barely rises above a whisper, neither preachy nor passive in its depiction of an important contemporary issue whose debaters will have already settled on a side of the argument; understanding this, Hittman never makes abortion the centre of the film, instead honing in on one individual's experiences and focusing on them as a character, as well as the relationships with those around her. It is a smart and considered decision that prevents it from leaning too much into the political nature of the discourse, while making its feelings - that women are in charge of their bodies - abundantly clear.
It is the raw filmmaking approach that makes the sting of the heartwrenching moments more sharply felt. Peppered across the course of the film - including the moment that ushers in the use of the title, a beautifully skilled demonstration of adding shade and depth to a character and their backstory without indulging in an overload of exposition - are these deeply-touching and emotionally-scolding moments that will be remembered long after the credits have rolled. Hittman's simplistic direction ensures the focus always remains with Autumn, enhanced by the intimate but often claustrophobic framing by cinematographer Hélène Louvart. With such understated elegance, Never Rarely Sometimes Always' simplistic plays a huge part in its success.
Much of Never Rarely Sometimes Always' power resting in the profound silence, meaning it requires a convincing lead capable of speaking such volume with few words and, thankfully, Sidney Flanigan stuns in her screen debut. An endlessly transfixing presence who guides us through the emotionally-challenging experience with the expertise of an actress who has been working for years, Flanigan internalises a great deal of her work but executes it with such precision that each and every emotion is felt wholeheartedly by the audience. Nuanced, understated acting can be the most difficult to pull off but, like Julie Garner recently in The Assistant (with which this film would make a perfect, devastatingly relevant double bill), Sidney Flanigan more than delivers with a performance that promises a fruitful career for the new talent.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always perhaps won't please those who like a little more plot to sink their teeth into but a more indescribably powerful film will be difficult to find. Terrific writing and a strong central performance engage at every turn of this quiet and profound feature from Eliza Hittman, who has again demonstrated a knack for crafting compelling character studies whose strength lies mostly in the unsaid. An indie feature triumph, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is one of the year's best so far.
Summary: Never Rarely Sometimes Always takes its title from a series of mutliple choice questions posed towards its protagonist. But with wonderful writing and a stunning lead performance, the answer is clear as to whether Eliza Hittman's latest powerful character study is worth your time.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always is a film of remarkable restraint, quietly and thoroughly observant while unwaveringly empathetic as Autumn's journey plays out with both sensitivity and realism. On both writing and directing duties, Hittman crafts a moving piece that barely rises above a whisper, neither preachy nor passive in its depiction of an important contemporary issue whose debaters will have already settled on a side of the argument; understanding this, Hittman never makes abortion the centre of the film, instead honing in on one individual's experiences and focusing on them as a character, as well as the relationships with those around her. It is a smart and considered decision that prevents it from leaning too much into the political nature of the discourse, while making its feelings - that women are in charge of their bodies - abundantly clear.
It is the raw filmmaking approach that makes the sting of the heartwrenching moments more sharply felt. Peppered across the course of the film - including the moment that ushers in the use of the title, a beautifully skilled demonstration of adding shade and depth to a character and their backstory without indulging in an overload of exposition - are these deeply-touching and emotionally-scolding moments that will be remembered long after the credits have rolled. Hittman's simplistic direction ensures the focus always remains with Autumn, enhanced by the intimate but often claustrophobic framing by cinematographer Hélène Louvart. With such understated elegance, Never Rarely Sometimes Always' simplistic plays a huge part in its success.
Much of Never Rarely Sometimes Always' power resting in the profound silence, meaning it requires a convincing lead capable of speaking such volume with few words and, thankfully, Sidney Flanigan stuns in her screen debut. An endlessly transfixing presence who guides us through the emotionally-challenging experience with the expertise of an actress who has been working for years, Flanigan internalises a great deal of her work but executes it with such precision that each and every emotion is felt wholeheartedly by the audience. Nuanced, understated acting can be the most difficult to pull off but, like Julie Garner recently in The Assistant (with which this film would make a perfect, devastatingly relevant double bill), Sidney Flanigan more than delivers with a performance that promises a fruitful career for the new talent.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always perhaps won't please those who like a little more plot to sink their teeth into but a more indescribably powerful film will be difficult to find. Terrific writing and a strong central performance engage at every turn of this quiet and profound feature from Eliza Hittman, who has again demonstrated a knack for crafting compelling character studies whose strength lies mostly in the unsaid. An indie feature triumph, Never Rarely Sometimes Always is one of the year's best so far.
Summary: Never Rarely Sometimes Always takes its title from a series of mutliple choice questions posed towards its protagonist. But with wonderful writing and a stunning lead performance, the answer is clear as to whether Eliza Hittman's latest powerful character study is worth your time.