Always Shine
| Always Shine | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Sophia Takal |
| Produced by |
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| Written by | Lawrence Michael Levine |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Michael Montes |
| Cinematography | Mark Schwartzbard |
| Edited by | Zach Clark |
Production company |
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| Distributed by | Oscilloscope Laboratories |
Release dates |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $4,211[1] |
Always Shine is a 2016 American psychological thriller film written by Lawrence Michael Levine and directed by Sophia Takal. The film stars Mackenzie Davis and Caitlin FitzGerald as two friends going for a weekend retreat to Big Sur. It also stars Levine, Alexander Koch and Jane Adams.
The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 15, 2016.[2] It was released in a limited release on November 25, 2016 by Oscilloscope Laboratories.[3]
Plot
Beth (Caitlin FitzGerald) is a jobbing actress who is finally beginning to see some commercial success appearing in beer commercials and thrillers which routinely demand nudity. She plans a weekend getaway to Big Sur with her best friend Anna (Mackenzie Davis) a fellow actress who is broke and still works in student films for free.
On the ride up Beth is recognized by a fan. Anna also later discovers that she has been featured in the Young Hollywood edition of a magazine. Later the two talk about their lives and Anna reveals that she broke up with her boyfriend after getting angry with him and having a somewhat violent altercation in which she shoved him. The two later go out for drinks where Anna flirts with a man who becomes disinterested with her, finding her too aggressive and instead picks up Beth. Despite the fact that Beth has a boyfriend she accepts his dinner date.
The following day Anna helps Beth practice for an upcoming audition and the two later go hiking. While in the woods they bump into a director friend of Beth's who has been looking to cast Anna in his upcoming short film. Despite having previously mentioned this to Beth, Beth had not told this to Anna which causes Anna to get angry. Beth accuses Anna of looking at her with pure hate and then wanders away. Hiking back to the cottage they are staying she is picked up by a kindly bartender who offers her a ride home. Once at the house Beth calls her boyfriend and tells him that Anna is pathetic and jealous of her despite the fact that Beth feels insecure over her acting career and the movies she appears in. Anna overhears the conversation and physically attacks Beth. Beth tries to escape and the two fight in the woods.
The following day Anna dresses in Beth's clothes and begins to act like shy and insecure like Beth. She also begins to see Anna, dressed in her clothes and acting like her following her everywhere. She returns to the bar of the previous night where she runs into the bartender who gave Beth a lift. The two flirt and later have sex. The following day he introduces her to his friends. While at dinner with his friends he mentions having given her the ride, implying that Anna is actually Beth. While dancing Anna sees Beth coming towards her and runs out into the woods. Anna and Beth again have a physical fight with Beth choking Anna before Anna flips her over and chokes and kills Beth. Beth's body then disappears from her and she wakes up in the woods in the morning. Walking back to the house she sees police officers wheeling away a body they found in the woods.
Cast
- Mackenzie Davis as Anna
- Caitlin FitzGerald as Beth
- Lawrence Michael Levine as Jesse
- Alexander Koch as Matt
- Jane Adams as Summer
- Khan Baykal as Paul
- Colleen Camp as Sandra
- Michael Lowry as Vic
- Marisa Takal as Violet
Production
Sophia Takal revealed in an interview from 2011 to 2014, her and Lawrence Michael Levine attempted to get financing, get recognizable actors, and not have herself act in the film.[4] Takal casted Mackenzie Davis and Caitlin Fitzgerald since they had a deep understanding of the material.[4] While filming, the cast and crew lived in a house in Big Sur and would do meditation and cook dinner.[4]
Post-production
A Kickstarter campaign was launched to finish the post-production on the film, a goal of $18,000 was set, but ended up making $22,483.[5]
Release
The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 15, 2016.[2][6] Shortly after, Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired distribution rights to the film.[7] The film went onto screen at the Montclair Film Festival.[8] Venice Film Festival,[9][10] and the AFI Fest.[11]
The film was released in a limited release on November 25, 2016.[12]
Critical reception
Always Shine received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 90% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 27 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[13]
Scott Tobias of Variety gave the film a positive review writing : "With her confident second feature, director Sophia Takal (“Green”) takes on Tinseltown misogyny and the toxic rivalry between friends, but that’s mere prelude to a gonzo meta-fiction that deconstructs itself nearly to death."[14]
References
- ↑ "Always Shine". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
- 1 2 "Always Shine". Tribeca Film Festival. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ↑ Nolfi, Joey (October 19, 2016). "Actresses clash over bad blood in creepy Always Shine trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- 1 2 3 Erbland, Kate (April 21, 2016). "How the Competitive World of Hollywood Pushed Sophia Takal to Make Her Chilling 'Always Shine'". Indiewire.com. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ↑ Takal, Sophia (April 2, 2016). "ALWAYS SHINE - Tribeca Film Festival world premiere!". Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ↑ "TRIBECA 2016 ANNOUNCES LINEUPS FOR COMPETITION PROGRAMS (US NARRATIVE, INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE, WORLD DOCUMENTARY) & VIEWPOINTS". Tribeca Film Festival. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (May 11, 2016). "Cannes: Oscilloscope Buys Mackenzie Davis Drama 'Always Shine'". Variety. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Always Shine". Montclair Film Festival. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
- ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (July 26, 2016). "Venice Days Unveils Lineup With Accent on Women Directors". Variety. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Always Shine". Venice Film Festival. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ↑ "AFI FEST 2016 Unveils New Auteurs, Shorts, American Independents and Midnight Sections". AFI Fest. October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ↑ Sharf, Zack (October 19, 2016). "'Always Shine' Trailer: Sophia Takal's Award-Winning Thriller Is One Of The Year's Indie Discoveries". Indiewire.com. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
- ↑ "Always Shine (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
- ↑ Tobias, Scott (April 15, 2016). "Tribeca Film Review: Always Shine". Variety. Retrieved April 23, 2016.