Adapted from the novel by Laura Kasischke, White Bird in a Blizzard looks at a suburban family in the 90s. A young girl, Kat (Shailene Woodley), coming of age, her father (Christopher Meloni) a human doormat, her mother (Eva Green) playing the perfect housewife. Her front is a throwback to the 50s, but in reality she represses her hate for her husband and her daughter’s youth, relationships and freedom. In college, Kat tells through narration of the day back in the 90s when her mother disappeared and the ensuing police investigations and aftermath as she and her father come to terms with their loss.
There’s a line in White Bird in a Blizzard, “You scratch the surface and there’s just… more surface”, that is an encapsulation of the film and it’s main flaw. It tries to be many things; arthouse feature, teen sexual awakening, suburban thriller… but succeeds at none of them. It is beautifully composed, filled with elegant shots of mundane suburbia as well as stark, beautiful dreamscapes. There is a hazy, cold, detached feel to the emotion of the film but coupled to a thin and unengaging plot, which leaves the whole project lacking.
Attempts to add intrigue through the investigation of the disappearance and possible suspects falls flat, plodding scenes occasionally punctured by overly melodramatic performances. This unevenness exists throughout the film, making it tonally inconsistent and lacking subtlety. Occasionally the film threatens to offer something outside the box but then falls back on a slow and unengaging plot and paper thin characters.
Woodley and Meloni come across as genuine in their performances. Eva Green, usually a standout presence, manages to capture the eye again. This is mostly due to her veering from repressed bubbling rage to mentally unhinged (and unsatisfied) housewife. She is a simmering presence, but tonally jarring. The only other casting decision that leaves a mark is Thomas Jane as the police detective investigating the mother’s disappearance. His sexual liaison with Kat giving a few scant scenes a welcome grittiness. The supporting characters rounding out the cast, notably Kat’s friends, are embarrassingly thin stereotypes seemingly cast from a CW teen drama. Gabourey Sidibe’s performance in particular pushes her Academy award nomination even further into the mists of time. Ultimately, none of these characters, nor the plot, grab your attention.
THE PACKAGEWhile the film itself is uneven it can’t be disputed that it can be pretty beautiful and the disc transfer shows this off well. Deeply saturated colors, crisp images and good detail throughout.
The special features include the traditional trailer, a number of deleted and extended scenes and a interview with both director Araki and Woodley as well as a commentary by the two which to be frank is more interesting than the film itself.
THE BOTTOM LINEWhite Bird in a Blizzard is interesting to watch but ultimately hard to engage with. Poorly scripted characters, one dimensional performances, and an uneven tone cannot be ignored no matter how well composed the film looks on the surface. A beautiful, stark endeavor, but ultimately a swing and a miss.
White Bird in a Blizzard is available on home video January 21st. A link to purchase via Amazon is below.