October Coast
Playing at select theatres now and VOD beginning Nov 7
Maybe what Kristina (Lindsay Anne Williams) has to do to get past her relationship woes is to “Open” her heart and go through the motions so she can heal. Although a certain Roxette song came to mind while watching this romantic comedy, there’s not much I could find that relates to this film’s theme. Instead, Mama Mia screamed at me, and ABBA’s music for that concept album is still playing in my head as I write this review.
Although this character drama describes itself as Marriage Story meets Scott Pilgrim vs the World, I’m sensing other works were also an influence. The New Wave, Jazz, Country and Punk driven music video dream-sequences sets this work apart from others I’ve seen. And although the composition of these songs aren’t as snappy at the start, as long as you’re willing to wait it out, the scores get better! The early tracks are too heavy in psychoanalyzing what this protagonist is feeling, and honestly, the later tracks improve so that what’s felt is like a day tripper! But as for whether this work is meant to be a tribute to musicals, I doubt Miles Doleac had that in mind when directing this film.