Light Of My Life review: Casey Affleck returns to the director’s chair for his second helming project – though this, his first time solo; an affecting father-daughter drama with extremely dark undertones, set in the cold climbs of a post-apocalyptic world.
Photo: BBP LOM
I went into Affleck’s film, which he also wrote, starred in, and co-produced, knowing very little. In fact, the only information offered online at the time of writing is a brief, paragraph-long synopsis saying that the feature revolves around a father and his young daughter who are lost in the woods. Of course, one of last year’s big successes, the Ben Foster-led drama Leave No Trace, would instantly come to mind, but for me, Affleck’s movie has more in common with the intense foreboding of A Quiet Place than that picture.
We open to Affleck’s father telling his daughter, Rag (Anna Pniowsky) a story – a ten minute long sequence told in close-up pre-title card. The two lie in a makeshift bed which is later revealed to be in a tent, deep in a forest. The story and the world in which the film inhabits is slowly drip-fed to us. It becomes soon apparent that this is a time where most of the world’s female population has been wiped out due to the spread of a deadly virus. This includes the loss of Rag’s mother, played by Elizabeth Moss in flashback, though the young girl, nearly a teenager, has miraculously survived. The lack of women in the world has affected the men, and around every corner is a constant threat, and this battle-worn character will do absolutely anything to protect his daughter, including chopping her hair, naming her Alex, introduce her as his son, especially on the days when they have to integrate into society to get foot handouts and other supplies. The rest of their time is spent trying to find a safe haven, away from the presence of human beings who could jeopardise their future.
The film is clearly a labour of love for Affleck, and this comes through in this final, really excellent piece of work. The bar is certainly high when you immediately compare the film to something like Leave No Trace, but, as stated, this is a different beast altogether, and that is apparent immediately. There is more influence from the science fiction and horror genres here, something which wasn’t expected. Through his writing and excellent staging, Affleck creates a constant foreboding, truly intense feel to his film, extenuated through a top-notch performance from his young co-star in Pniowsky. The young actor is in every scene, and as the film hurtles towards its thrilling, gear-shift of a finale, she too flicks an instantly recognisable switch in her execution too, making way for quite the ending which again, is totally unforeseen.
Related: Leave No Trace review
The design of the film is also magnificent, Affleck employing the talents of True Detective season one, the recent Assassin’s Creed movie, and Macbeth cinematographer Adam Arkapow. His framing is natural and intimate, and his capturing of the sweeping vistas of British Columbia simply stunning.
At times devastating, ultimately, Light Of My Life is about love, particularly between a father and daughter – two remaining figures in a broken family that has lost its balance, a mother and wife heartbreakingly absent.
This film is a consuming, tense, slow-burner with a lingering pace that true, might not suit all, but for me, that was part of its appeal, and all of the way through Affleck’s choice is to use using long takes, taking his time to let things play out. Despite that dragging nature, I was constantly perched right on the edge of my seat, always presuming that something quite terrible was about to go down.
Light Of My Life is absolutely be a film to seek out as it is a truly breathtaking work from an very gifted filmmaker. I absolutely loved it.
Light Of My Life review by Paul Heath, Berlinale 2019.
