Stillwater

Stillwater
Starring Matt Damon, Abigail Breslin, Camille Cottin, Lilou Siauvaud
Directed by Tom McCarthy

Back in 2007, the world was riveted by the case of Amanda Knox, an American woman who was studying in Italy when she was arrested along with her boyfriend for the murder of her roommate. She spent four years in an Italian prison before being exonerated, but her reputation had been tarnished nearly beyond repair. After returning to the States, she became an author, activist, and journalist, and has pretty much disappeared from the public eye until now. "Stillwater" is a film that's based on her story, and she's gone on the record denouncing the film, saying it distorted the facts of the story, and once again made her into a villain. Despite this, director Tom McCarthy released the film and while you can clearly see the parallels, it also is very fictionalized - as it is with most true-life films - and centers more on Matt Damon's character and his own quest for redemption as well as trying to free his daughter.

Bill Baker (Matt Damon) is a widowed father living in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he works as an oil worker. His daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin) was studying in France when she was arrested in connection with the murder of her lover Lina, and has been in a French prison the last four years. He travels to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter and to try to get her case re-opened, and he meets single mother Virginie (Camille Cottin) and her young daughter Maya (Lilou Siauvaud), who agrees to serve as Bill's interpreter. As Bill interviews friends of Allison's, he learns of a mysterious man that was with them the night of the murder, but no one seems willing to help him. As the months moved forward, Bill and Virginie begin their own relationship and Bill hopes to make amends for his past mistakes, all the while keeping an eye out for the man who could clear Allison's name.

Tom McCarthy won an Oscar for writing the film "Spotlight" (which also won Best Picture), an extraordinary true story about the Spotlight team from The Boston Globe who helped uncover the child sexual abuse scandal by Roman Catholic priests in Boston. You can clearly sense his investigative work in "Stillwater" as well, and it would've been a fascinating film if it had just focused on the story of Bill trying to free and exonerate his daughter, but instead the film meanders through a series of different side stories that could've been a film of their own in each of their own right, which results in an extremely overly bloated film that's mostly solid (save for one head-scratching moment) but never fully fleshed out in any direction.

The main bookends of the film centers around Bill's quest to find the true killer and free his daughter from a French prison (why it took him four years to begin this is beyond me), and it's the most exciting parts of the film. This redneck hillbilly from the outskirts of Oklahoma trying to find his way in a completely different country really sheds light on how the world views Americans, and especially those from the South, and McCarthy doesn't throw any punches when it comes to the caricature of Bill: a blue collar roughneck who always wears plaid shirts, sporting a beard, uses niceties like "ma'am" and "sir," owns two guns, prays before every meal, and (probably) would've voted for Trump if he was able (but his criminal record forbade it). Bill is a total fish out of water, but fortunately he befriends Virginie, who loves taking up charity cases and agrees to serve as Bill's interpreter.

As the two interview witnesses and friends of Allison, it's obvious that everyone is hiding something, and soon Bill realizes why - the man that could be responsible for Lina's murder is highly feared, and someone no one wants to cross. Despite Allison's pleas for her father to turn to the police, he tries to take matters into his own hands, which doesn't end well. This is the opening of the film, and then at the end this tale picks back up as happenstance falls in Bill's favor in extraordinary ways that could help absolve Allison, but could also destroy Bill in the process.

The middle of the film focuses on Bill's growing relationship with Virginie, and this couple is the definition of "odd couple." He, as I said earlier, is the epitome of hillbilly redneck, while she's a sophisticated, open-minded theater actress who's against racists and bigots, so seeing this relationship blossom naturally is actually a nice thing to see - if it was done in a film on its own. Yet throughout their budding relationship, the thought of Allison isn't far from Bill's (or our) mind, and while the chemistry and acting between Matt Damon and Camille Cottin is fantastic, it's merely time consuming in the light of the seemingly weighty events surrounding the case. Then there's one moment that propels the main story forward again in a very odd, distracting way that isn't mentioned again, although it's a moment that's life-changing.

The tone of the film wildly varies from moment to moment, as at first it's a procedural detective movie that then turns into a romantic drama, before spinning off the rails and turning into a thriller action set piece before slowing down again to a family drama. It's like being a passenger in the car of someone who's just learning how to drive and is worried about going too fast, so they constantly hit the brake before accelerating a little, before hitting the break again.

This sounds like "Stillwater" is a terrible film, but it's the performances that save it from drudging in mediocrity. Matt Damon truly shines as Bill Baker, who does portray himself as your typical hillbilly American, but also harbors deep feelings of self-resentment and self-loathing underneath his stoic, perpetually monotone demeanor. When he finds another chance at love, you see his struggle with thinking that he's worthy of it, and when it finally happens it does so in a wholly organic way that feels real. As he tries to help his daughter get freed, he finds a new lease on life and a new family that he truly cares for and loves.

Abigail Breslin (who does bare a striking resemblance to Knox) also showcases some of her best work to date here. As Allison, she plays off the innocent victim but also keeps the audience guessing as to whether or not she really did do it in a way that's perfectly balanced and you also sense the divide between Bill and Allison, as she has trust issues due to Bill's previous lies which continually bubble to the surface. The work between these two is amazing, and some of the best scenes of the film occur during his visits to her in prison.

The middle of the story really belongs to Damon, Camille Cottin, and young Lilou Siauvaud, who perfectly encapsulates the nuclear family dynamic. Camielle's Virginie is a free spirit, a woman who is fearless and determined, yet also strongly desires to help others. Cottin performs tremendously, as does Siauvaud as nine-year-old Maya, who tries to teach Bill French and also has wisdom beyond her years. This new family dynamic elevates the film's muddling middle half that could've been great if it was it's own film, but in the confines of the mystery, serves more as an appetizer in the middle of the main course.

Incorporating top-notch performances with an exciting mystery, "Stillwater" could've been a tight, neatly woven film, but by introducing a budding love story in the middle, makes it longer than it should've and distracts from its main purpose - but still the entirety of the film is still enjoyable, but would've been better if each got their own full story.

The Score: A