Scarlet

Like looking in grandma's chocolate box, Scarlet didn't know what to choose so just closed the box and left it with us. There were two things that really elevated this film above other 'small village' period pieces. The first was the incredible Raphaël Thierry who was born to play the role of the weary soldier returning from World War I to his quiet life as a skilled carpenter. The second plus was the choice to film in 35mm, which gave the film its gritty, olden feel. (I'm hopelessly in love with 35mm film stock, if you want to know something about me.) The rest of the movie? The story can't decide where it wants to land... Magic realism? Romance? Small town intrigue? Soon after the movie begins to explore one of these story lines, it's abandoned like stale chocolate in a box left over from grandma's Valentine's day.