It’s not uncommon to see the star of a major blockbuster franchise take a step back from those kinds of massive roles once their breakout role has finished. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson have done it after “Twilight,” Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint did post-“Potter,” and now Daisy Ridley (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Murder on the Orient Express (2017)”) has continued her journey outside of the world of “Star Wars” with the very indie, very wholesome “Sometimes I Think About Dying.”
The film stars Ridley as Fran, an awkward office worker who spends most of her days in and out of the office alone, her mind wandering to various ways to die. When new employee Robert, played by Dave Merheje (“Mr. D,” “Ramy”), joins her office, he ends up getting her out of her comfort zone and socializing to degrees which she hasn’t before.
Ridley manages to play Fran with such a degree of nuance, it easily prevents her from falling into a trap of annoying twee-ness or petty behavior. The degree with which she’s able to tackle a role like this is impressive, making Fran feel like a truly realized person that feels unique, but also a universality about her that makes her easy to relate to. Merheje manages to do the same with Robert, injecting him with a healthy amount of general friendliness that makes it easy to slide right into Fran’s shoes, wondering about his motives and authenticity alongside her. They also have such great awkward chemistry, creating a bond that feels painfully real without becoming bland.
Director Rachel Lambert (“I Can Feel You Walking,” “In The Radiant City”) and writers Kevin Armento, Stefanie Abel Horowitz (“Welcome to Valentine”), and Katy Wright-Mead (“Stop the Bleeding!”), adapted from Armento’s stage play keep the pace quaint but smooth. It’s a slow film, but it doesn’t overstay its welcome either. Given that it’s clearly supposed to be from Fran’s perspective, we spend a lot of time just existing within her space, with her thoughts. It adds to the feeling of isolation and eventual branching out that Fran goes through, helping the film to feel more like an adventure along with Fran instead of watching her journey as an outside observer. It also helps that the rest of the film is filled with smaller names or unknown actors, further enhancing the small town feeling of everything and further expanding Fran’s sense of isolation.
Likewise, the cinematography from Dustin Lane (“Holler”) and musical score from Dabney Morris (“Procession,” “Broken Diamonds”) further enhance this feeling. There are plenty of shots of co-workers simply going about their day, as soft pensive music plays. It highlights the mundane in a really beautiful but simplistic way. This also builds a contrast between the scenes of death that Fran imagines, which filter in some more fantastical elements within the lighting, fog, or even just her hanging or floating away. It isn’t overblown or a drastic change in style, but it departs from the film’s reality just enough to be both unsettling and an odd kind of beauty.
“Sometimes I Think About Dying” is a mouthful of a title but a quiet wonder of a film. Ridley’s performance is fantastically underplayed, and Merheje is a small delight. The focus on the mundane and simpler aspects of life helps to flesh out a film that otherwise might float under the radar. It’s the definition of a quaint and quiet delight. 4.5/5
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