Downtown Owl is directed by Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater, while Rabe also takes the lead acting duties. Rabe gives a terrific performance as Julia, a new teacher who moves to Owl, North Dakota, in 1983 to begin her profession. Julia’s husband stayed back, and she finds herself limited in options for entertainment in this small, isolated town. A new friend, Naomi (Vanessa Hudgens), encourages Julia to hang out at the local bar after school, and Horace (Ed Harris) seems to keep her up with all the goings-on in the town. However, it’s not the drama of the town that will ultimately decide everyone’s fate, but an epic snowstorm at the start of 1984.
Rabe’s character is struggling with every aspect of her current situation. She has no interest in the men of the town and is only using them to pay for her new drinking habit. Once she meets Henry Golding’s character, her motivation changes. One of the best scenes in the film is a scene of her attempting to flirt with his character at the bar. We get to hear what she’s really thinking, while words on-screen display what’s truly said out loud. It’s not only a funny scene, but one that lends insight into exactly what Julia is going through. It’s cut together well, and really moves as a scene considering it is essentially just two people sitting at a bar.
Harris gets to play a role that isn’t a lead antagonist for once. It was refreshing, and the relationship that builds between his character and Julia’s is quite sweet. He doesn’t seem to want to gossip but also seems unable to not. He refers specifically to Finn Wittrock’s character, the head football coach, who seems to be unable to control his affection for a specific type of woman. Rabe and Wittrock work together, and this drama lies at the heart of the trouble in this small town. People want to ignore the problems, and yet everyone seems to know about everything that’s going on. It’s a great source of awkward comedy throughout the film.
Downtown Owl is full of really great performances, funny moments, and some unique cinematic decisions. The finale features a few characters talking directly to the camera, describing their unexpected situations. While the experience of the film wasn’t entirely consistent, it was quite enjoyable overall. Rabe continues to impress time and time again, and if this is any indication of her and Linklater’s directing ability, I’d say we’re in for some fun movies in the future.
Downtown Owl debuted at Tribeca on June 10, with other dates available.
Rating: Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy.
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