CHATTANOOGA 2020 FILM FESTIVAL - The Wanting Mare
CHATTANOOGA 2020 FILM FESTIVALDirected by first time auteur Nicholas Ash Bateman and executive produced by the legendary Shane Carruth, The Wanting Mare premiered at this year's Chattanooga Virtual Film Festival and is an ambitious original era-spanning tale about a mother and daughter who share a deeper connection between themselves and their lineage.
From the start of the film, it is clear that this picture is something extremely unique, as it seems to care more about the atmosphere of the world it inhabits than the plot itself. Occasionally, the screenplay by Bateman himself comes off as unfocused and messy, with some key aspects of the story being weakly tied in despite the presence of opportunities to strengthen the narrative. Yet, despite the narrative not being as focused as it could be, it speaks volumes to Bateman’s directorial talents that he is able to take the scarce narrative focus and use it as a positive tool to craft an atmospheric film that is hypnotically carried by its themes rather than its narrative.
Utilizing his versatile background as a visual effects supervisor in numerous independent films, from a logistical point of view, Bateman works wonders with the limited budget available to him. He is able to adapt to the challenges by creating the necessary infrastructure to enable much of the film to be shot in an industrial warehouse and having the effects accentuate the world around the subjects. Those shots, when paired with some of the best cinematography of the year from David A. Ross and an incredibly nuanced score from Aaron Boudreaux, are able to transcend the film’s low budget nature and pushes it into the realm of ambience sci-fi epics from Denis Villeneuve, like the recent Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival.
However, the way in which Bateman is able to weave the tales in a mysterious way by orchestrating sporadic bursts of information that make sense only after other aspects of the film have developed, mirrors signs of the early genius in Shane Carruth’s Upstream Colour and Primer as well as the meticulous detail-oriented nature of Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin. On top of that, the fact that the world in which this film takes place is richer and more developed than many fantasy literary classics is a true testament to Bateman’s visionary ability. All of these aspects are brought to life by heart-breaking performances from the entire cast. This ensures that Bateman deserves to be the hottest young director since Carruth himself, and with this incredibly well-made piece of art as his first film, one should not be surprised if Bateman is the creative force behind many of the new decades modern masterpieces.
Overall, despite lacking a solid narrative focus, The Wanting Mare provides a brilliantly crafted atmospheric fable that results in a truly transcendent experience that deserves to be known as a modern classic.