Mark Reviews Movies: CLEMENTINE

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Review by Mark Dujsik | May 7, 2020

Karen (Otmara Marrero) was dumped by her girlfriend. It wasn't supposed to happen like that, but it did. Now, she has to figure out some things, so Clementine begins with Karen traveling to her ex's lake house in the woods, breaking a window, and setting up for an indefinite stay.

We're never quite sure if the main character has any goal or purpose in writer/director Lara Jean Gallagher's debut feature. Isn't that one of the consequences of heartbreak?

In a brief flashback at the start of the film, we see Karen being recorded by her ex, who has lovely words about how lucky she is and doubting thoughts about a younger woman like Karen maintaining interest in her. As far as we can tell, the ex, who's played by Sonya Walger and only heard for most of the film, is fine now. In fact, she seems to enjoy still having this kind of power over Karen. She keeps calling the house, and when Karen finally answers, the ex says she likes knowing exactly where Karen is and what she's doing.

That power dynamic, its implications, and its results are explored through the ex's mostly unseen presence (She has an envoy of sorts in the form of a helpful neighbor, played by Will Brittain, who's keeping an eye on Karen) and a possible mirror reflection of that recently ended relationship. The 20-something Karen ends up meeting Lana (Sydney Sweeney), a teenager, who's hanging around the lake.

The two connect when Lana asks for Karen's help to find her dog, and soon enough, the two start spending a lot of time together. Lana has big dreams and admires Karen's life (She's more or less pretending to be her ex), and Karen clearly enjoys being the focus of someone's attention—especially someone as young and pretty as Lana.

Nothing much happens in terms of a plot. Even so, it's still fascinating to learn what Karen and her ex's relationship was like, to see how Karen starts imitating some of the same tactics, and to note in what ways her behavior differs from the kind of which she had been the recipient.

Like her protagonist, Gallagher's goals aren't set in stone. Until a climax that's comparatively over-the-top (There's a gun in the first act, and you know the rest), Clementine is pointed and probing in its observations, and that's more than enough.

Note: Clementine is receiving a "virtual cinema" release. You can rent the film for home viewing, with part of the cost going to participating independent theaters. For more information and to purchase access to the film, click here. Participating theaters are listed on the page.

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