Always Shine

Always Shine is a 2016 American psychological thriller film written by Lawrence Michael Levine and directed by Sophia Takal. The film stars Mackenzie Davis and Caitlin FitzGerald as two friends going for a weekend retreat to Big Sur. It also stars Levine, Alexander Koch and Jane Adams.

Always Shine
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySophia Takal
Produced by
Written byLawrence Michael Levine
Starring
Music byMichael Montes
CinematographyMark Schwartzbard
Edited byZach Clark
Production
company
  • Little Teeth Pictures
  • Visit Films
  • Salem Street Entertainment
Distributed byOscilloscope Laboratories
Release date
Running time
85 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$16,140[1]

The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 15, 2016.[2] It had a limited release on November 25, 2016, by Oscilloscope Laboratories.[3]

Plot

Beth (Caitlin FitzGerald) is an actress who is finally beginning to have commercial success appearing in cinematic thrillers and beer commercials which routinely require nudity. She plans a weekend getaway to Big Sur with her best friend Anna (Mackenzie Davis), a struggling actress who works for free in student films.

On the way to Big Sur, Beth is recognized by a fan. Anna soon discovers that Beth has been featured in the "Young Hollywood" edition of a popular magazine. Later that day, the two women have a conversation, during which Anna reveals that she broke up with her boyfriend after getting angry with his boss, and shoving him rather aggressively.

Anna and Beth go to a bar where Anna flirts with an older man who abruptly loses interest when Beth leaves. He then surreptitiously finds Beth alone and asks her out, which Anna sees, and she then cries herself to sleep.

The next day, Anna helps Beth practice for an upcoming audition, when it's made obvious that Anna is the better actress. After which the two go hiking in the woods, where they encounter Beth's director friend who has wanted to cast Anna in his upcoming short film. Anna is dismayed to learn that Beth was already aware of this offer but never mentioned it to her. Beth accuses Anna of looking at her with contempt, and scurries away.

While hiking alone to their rented cottage, Beth is offered a ride home by a kindly bartender. After returning to the cottage, Beth calls her boyfriend to tell him that Anna is envious of her, even though Beth still feels insecure about the quality of her acting career. Overhearing the conversation, Anna physically attacks Beth, who flees into the woods with Anna in pursuit-- and the altercation continues there with Anna killing Beth.

The next day, Anna begins to dress in Beth's clothes and acts demurely, much like Beth. Anna (as Beth) returns to the bar where she encounters the kindly bartender. The two flirt, and have a romantic meeting.

The following evening, while the bartender and Anna are having dinner at the home of his friends and later at a club, Anna sees Beth (who is now much like Anna) approaching her and flees into the woods. She has flashbacks of their fight in the woods, where Anna, in a rage, chased Beth, knocked her to the ground and fatally strangled her. The following morning, Anna awakens in the woods. As she returns to the house, Anna sees Beth's husband with police officers wheeling away a body found in the woods.

Cast

Production

Sophia Takal revealed in an interview that, from 2011 to 2014, she and Lawrence Michael Levine attempted to get financing, get recognizable actors, and not have herself act in the film.[4] Takal cast Mackenzie Davis and Caitlin FitzGerald since they had a deep understanding of the material.[4] While filming, the cast and crew lived in a house in Big Sur and would do meditation and cook dinner.[4]

Post-production

A Kickstarter campaign was launched to finish the post-production on the film; a goal of $18,000 was set, but the campaign ended up making $22,483.[5]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 15, 2016.[2][6] Shortly after, Oscilloscope Laboratories acquired distribution rights to the film.[7] The film went onto screen at the Montclair Film Festival.[8] Venice Film Festival,[9][10] and the AFI Fest.[11]

The film was released in a limited release on November 25, 2016.[12]

Reception

Always Shine received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 92% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 49 reviews with an average rating of 7.07/10. The website's critical consensus states: "The tense and well-acted Always Shine tells an absorbing story while making a sharp, thought-provoking statement on women's roles in Hollywood."[13] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 15 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]

Scott Tobias of Variety gave the film a positive review, writing: "With her confident second feature, director Sophia Takal takes on Tinseltown misogyny and the toxic rivalry between friends, but that’s mere prelude to a gonzo meta-fiction that deconstructs itself nearly to death."[15]

References
  1. "Always Shine". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  2. "Always Shine". Tribeca Film Festival. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  3. Nolfi, Joey (October 19, 2016). "Actresses clash over bad blood in creepy Always Shine trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Time. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  4. Erbland, Kate (April 21, 2016). "How the Competitive World of Hollywood Pushed Sophia Takal to Make Her Chilling 'Always Shine'". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  5. Takal, Sophia (April 2, 2016). "ALWAYS SHINE - Tribeca Film Festival world premiere!". Kickstarter. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  6. The Editors (March 2, 2016). "Tribeca 2016 Announces Lineups for Competition Programs (US Narrative, International Narrative, World Documentary) & Viewpoints". Tribeca Film Festival. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  7. McNary, Dave (May 11, 2016). "Cannes: Oscilloscope Buys Mackenzie Davis Drama 'Always Shine'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  8. "MFF16: New Jersey on Screen". Montclair Film Festival. Investors Bank Film & Media Center. April 18, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2016.
  9. Vivarelli, Nick (July 26, 2016). "Venice Days Unveils Lineup With Accent on Women Directors". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  10. "Venice Days". 73rd Venice Film Festival. Venice Film Festival. Archived from the original on 2016-08-03. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  11. "AFI FEST 2016 Unveils New Auteurs, Shorts, American Independents and Midnight Sections". AFI Fest. American Film Institute. October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  12. Sharf, Zack (October 19, 2016). "'Always Shine' Trailer: Sophia Takal's Award-Winning Thriller Is One Of The Year's Indie Discoveries". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved October 19, 2016.
  13. "Always Shine (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  14. "Always Shine Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  15. Tobias, Scott (April 15, 2016). "Tribeca Film Review: Always Shine". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
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