THE STORY – A divorced doctor’s carefully constructed life in Cleveland is upended when his daughter’s debate aspirations and the unexpected return of a past love force him to confront his own choices and embrace a second chance.
THE CAST – Chris Pine, Jenny Slate, Abby Ryder Fortson, Sam Waterston & Katey Sagal
THE TEAM – Rachel Lambert (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 103 Minutes
Can you believe the director behind the strange romantic dramedy “Sometimes I Think About Dying” managed to make yet another perplexing but sweet romance with “Carousel”? Rachel Lambert returns to Sundance with her fifth feature that, in some cases, will make viewers believe in love, while leaving others scratching their heads over its several puzzling elements and narrative inclusions. But if there’s one thing viewers will agree on, it’s the swoon-worthy work that Chris Pine and Jenny Slate deliver as two former flames trying to figure love out together again.
Noah (Pine) is a divorced father who, on first glance, seems to have most things figured out. However, there’s clearly more than meets the eye here, which an overbearing jazzy score amplifies (it’s so chaotic that it’s hard to make out dialogue). His daughter Maya (Abby Ryder Fortson) is clearly struggling with her mental health following her parents’ divorce and the pressures she faces at school. An early morning panic attack, triggered by her leaving an important school project behind, clues us into some of their relationship issues: her father appears concerned and wants to help, but he knows how to tiptoe around the real problems. He’s also got plenty on his plate, with his mentor (Sam Waterston) announcing his retirement. Another problem he doesn’t want to address is how lonely he ultimately is, especially when Maya goes to her mother’s (Dagmara Domincyzk) home on the weekends, and it ends up being another solo pizza and game night at home (loneliness being a main theme in “Sometimes I Think About Dying“).
But a lot changes when Noah and Rebecca (Slate), a former Washington, D.C., hotshot who is now Maya’s debate teacher, reunite. Pine and Slate instantly show us there’s so much history between these characters based on the way they look at each other, or try to avoid the other’s gaze, their eyes filled with profound sadness. These two were flames in high school, but Rebecca pursued her political dreams while Noah stayed in Cleveland and raised a family. Though the conversations stopped between them, the feelings persisted, and it’s evident when they fall back into each other’s arms without a second thought. It’s a delight to see these two performers inhabit these roles as they giggle together and take us on a whirlwind relationship that still somehow feels grounded. They’re so good together, and it really makes us wonder why we don’t see both of them in rom-coms or romances more often.
But for whatever reason, Lambert’s film does so much narratively to keep these two away from each other. She often shifts the focus to random sideplots — such as financial struggles with Noah’s practice, Rebecca getting things in order to sell her parents’ home, or issues with Noah’s ex-wife — and then doesn’t give viewers enough context or explanation for why those storylines were important to spotlight. More often than not, the mystery surrounding some of these diverts will make a viewer think, “Wait, what am I missing here?” Whatever issues led to Noah’s divorce and the very apparent tension between him and his daughter, for example, are never addressed, which doesn’t make sense given that this leans into family drama. The way Maya’s mental health struggles are written about and “dealt with” also needed another pass in the screenplay – apparently, all she needs is to go to a debate summer camp, and she’s good as new. Same thing with Noah’s own crash out at an airport when Maya leaves for that camp. Again, you’re left thinking, “What am I watching?”
In moments when Lambert keeps this relationship central, we get some really impactful scenes. In one dramatic kitchen moment, Noah and Rebecca are having a serious fight that digs deep in many ways, with Noah furious that she didn’t call him when Maya got injured in an accident, and Rebecca desperately trying to bring attention to Maya’s struggles. He becomes so condescending toward her “medical advice” and starts bringing up old wounds, and it’s like we’re watching a real, organic argument play out. Adding to that is cinematographer Dustin Lane’s effective wide shot from the living room, which gives the impression that we’re standing in the home and intruding on this intimate moment. The final scene with Noah and Rebecca also benefits from its shooting, letting the two actors express their longing in a really beautiful way. Other times, the cinematography doesn’t work, resulting in faces getting cut off or really awkward angles to tell the story from.
When “Carousel” lets Pine and Slate take center stage, it’s a grounded and bittersweet romance about second chances and learning to give in to what’s in front of you. It’s all the extra elements that make this film a bit of a narrative mess. Lambert has the foundation for something really special here; she just needs to reel it in with extra or undercooked storylines that swerve us into so many different directions.
