Directed By Lance Oppenheim

Starring – Dennis Dean, Lynn Henry, Anne Kincer

The Plot – Behind the gates of a palm tree-lined fantasyland, four residents of America’s largest retirement community, The Villages, FL, strive to find solace and meaning.

This film is currently not rated

Some Kind of Heaven – Official Trailer – YouTube

POSITIVES

– Alluring presentation. For a first time feature length filmmaker, Oppenheim, with producer Darren Arronofsky, conjure up an immersive first hand experience full of top class tastes and substantial style in aesthetics that transcends this conventional documentary into an experience that often feels plucked from a fictional narrative. That’s not to say that the story itself is fictional, but rather the varieties in camera angles, a 1.33 aspect ratio that feeds into fluff of the box that this community sells as the perfect li(f)e, and a nearly three-dimensional quality to color and landscapes from cinematographer David Bolen that intoxicates us the audience in the same manner it does its community occupants. There’s a fully fleshed-out surrealness to everything presented that not only speaks volumes to the artificiality of everything enclosed, but also in Lance’s surveillance style direction that never intrudes on life’s many unusual movements.

– Tonal range. “Some Kind of Heaven” is a film that is just as effectively humorous as it is spiritually profound, and this satisfying combination is equally reflected in the many unique measures of production that play coherently in enriching such a unique personality. The musical score accompaniment from composer Ari Balouzian at times channels an orchestral arrangement that resonates endearingly to the care-free composure of its colorful characters, and emits a consistent energy to the film that persists without alluding to the audience what to feel during any particular moment. Likewise, the sense of pacing inside of my single favorite editing thus far of 2021 helps to move along the 81 minute run time fluidly without sacrificing the importance within the beats of the story itself, brought to life with some clever choices in cuts that matches brilliantly with tonal atmosphere established in each scene. For instance, if an argument seems inevitable between a couple, it will cut sharply right away, inevitably leaving audiences with a smile because we see what’s shaping up.

– Community citizens. Further adding to the wide range of emotions that the movie conjures, is a focus on four main characters within the storytelling that predictably play against the lap of luxury that the residency is selling. As can be expected, things didn’t go exactly as planned for these four groups of people, but even with their respective conflicts each one of them is eclectically diverse from the rest. There’s one woman whose sadness envelopes her with an abundance of loneliness, one couple’s experimental distancing having them at a crossroads in their relationship, and one homeless man seeking a place of belonging among the upper class residents. Each of them attain and exchange such candid moments of openness that can only come from senior citizens, particularly the husband within the couple, whose trials with marijuana and cocaine lead to some surreal moments of courtroom footage inside the lap of the law. Oppenheim couldn’t have picked four more intriguing characters to follow, and I feel each of them adds something pivotally distinct to the film without one of them feeling inferior or inconsequential compared to the others.

– Humble abode. Oppenheim’s biggest benefactor in the film is his warm and city-wide stretching setting that he wonderfully documents during such inspiring sequences of transition. Between drone footage used to tackle a wide angle lens, and on-the-ground still frame to capture the many experiences of its citizens, Lance flourishes the appeal of the community without it feeling like a commercial advertisement for the property, and ultimately perceives enough confidence within the gated community to reside the entirety of his picture in its clutches. As someone who also works at a senior citizen community, I was seduced not only by its abundance of space, but also in the variety of clubs and businesses thriving within this community that makes it a cut above the rest in terms of luxuries. It gives us an inside look, and lets the characters shape the narrative, giving it a feeling that is as truthful as it is accessible to people like myself who will never indulge in its many tastes.

– Impressive sound. Without the influences of big action sequences, subdued films like this have to articulate the craft of exceptional sound design, and dabble they do with some creative measures of microphone placement that I’m still trying to figure out how they did so. If you can hear the subjects of the scene, then they have to be mic’d up somehow, and even with some easy to follow creative choices with the on-the-ground navigating of the camera work, I was still clueless as to how they attained a particular level of clearance that didn’t rattle or hum with the many environmental influences that surrounded the characters they accompanied. It’s so subtle in its captivation that it may quite literally pass you by without realization while the film is playing out, but speaks volumes (Quite literally) to the kind of technical mastery that makes the most of some challenging environmental adversities.

– Underlying uneasiness. As with any narrative expressing a Stepford Wives feel of perfection in the product it’s advertising, our first perception as an audience is this unnerving reaction to perfection that constantly resonates throughout the story’s many unpredictable beats. Without spoiling anything, I will say that while this anxiety does persist, it never materializes into anything that takes away the focus of the narrative from the characters where I believe wholeheartedly it belongs, giving us only glimpses at the sum of its parts, which brought forth some particular feelings in the visuals that Oppenheim captures. For my money, there’s an almost cult-like essence within the demeanor of a community of people who are moving and breathing in one consistent movement, whether it be daily workouts or inspirational chants. It stirs the pot for something that eventually materializes, but not in a way that I was expecting, and plays wonderfully into the picket fences perception that evolves with each passing generation.

– Lancepiration. Another unique aspect to Lance Oppenheim’s various compositions during the film is the clearly distinguishable presence of past filmmakers that have inspired this instant visionary of contemporary cinema. Many friends of mine have sensed a Wes Anderson vibe from Lance’s consistency of visuals, but particularly the wide angle character shots that symmetrically frames them in the very mid of the boxed frame. While I definitely see this perspective, and can respect it enough for its similarities, it’s actually director Ulrich Seidl who feels most resonant to me, especially for his work in the 2014 documentary “In the Basement”. I say this because the composition of that film and this one are nearly identical, with each playing into the perceived tonal capacities that the evolution of the story take us on. As for color coordination, Anderson’s drab and lifeless pallets play cohesively towards the brunt deliveries of its cast, but with Oppenheim here he very much alienates his cast personalities with a vibrancy in color so surreal in its capture that it’s practically technicolor, instead serving as a character of its own whom the residents are drawn to so ideally.

NEGATIVES

– Condensed framing. While I did enjoy following the four characters that the film focused on, I couldn’t help but feel regret about learning so little about the bigger picture of the Village that has been a mirror for controversy over the last decade. The opening of the film does include some key information to not only illustrate a picture of the community, but also help set the contrasting movements in motion of the characters interviewed, but it’s never returned towards in a way that captures a surrounding perspective from people outside of its gates, ultimately leaving a sense of community perception mostly unfulfilled. Perception is everything in a film like this, so I feel like an outsider’s perspective would’ve better played into the commentary of the four leads, but aside from that give us a sense of wonder and admiration in evolution for the Village that documents its growth from the very beginning. Especially since this film is barely 81 minutes, I feel like 10 additional minutes could be granted to further set the stage during our initial engagements.

– Closing concerns. Even if the intention of the film was to define meaning inside of the advertisements and sunny brochures, the fact that I was drained with this overwhelming layer of emptiness to the characters resolve, as well as the climax of the documentary, left me slightly disappointed as the only flaw in Oppenheim’s otherwise perfect direction. I’m not asking for a forced smile, just some shred of epiphany that reevaluates these people’s purpose to play towards the “I came here to live, not die” mentality that was mumbled during the film’s first act. There’s a real sense of regret and even longing that hangs over two of them in particular, inevitably setting us up for an ending that underwhelms during its final moments rather than inspires.

My Grade: 8/10 or B+

You can watch Some Kind of Heaven in the virtual screening room for The Nightlight, here

VIRTUAL SCREENING ROOM, The Nightlight (nightlightcinema.com)