The Wanting Mare

The Wanting Mare is an enigmatic yet captivating science fiction drama released in 2020, starring Jordan Monaghan, Josh Clark, and Yasamin Keshtkar. The film is a splendid blend of romance, fantasy, and a unique exploration of enduring human connections, all cloaked in a post-apocalyptic setting. It is an intriguing piece of cinematics with a powerful cinematic aesthetics that perfectly matches its narrative depth.

The film, directed and written by Nicholas Ashe Bateman, is set in the fictional city called Whithren. This is an oppressive place that is perpetually hot and where dissent and discontent are constant themes. The city is swamped by a heatwave that lasts for the entire year, with the inhabitants longing for escape to the cooler cities across the sea. Once a year, a cargo ship arrives to transport wild horses from the city and there's a coveted lottery granting a few lucky citizens the passage.

In the centre of this bleak and desolate landscape exists Moira (Jordan Monaghan). Blessed or cursed, depending on how one perceives it, with the inherited capacity to recall the entire life story of her mother and grandmother. This intriguing ability of Moira presents a fascinating underdiscussion of the film touching on philosophical ideas of life, legacy and existence, bundled in a concept of "inherited memory".

However, the storyline does not merely revolve around Moira. The narrative graciously transitions through generations, drawing fine lines of links between the past and the future. There’s a subtle shift towards Loren (Yasamin Keshtkar), a cop from Whithren, and Lawrence (Josh Clark), an idealistic young man hailing from Anmaere, across the sea. They're both grappling with the realities of their world and struggling with their longings - Loren inclined toward the solace of the past and Lawrence focused on an uncertain future.

The Wanting Mare is not simply a vessel for philosophical musings about life, memory and human connections though. It also explores a darker side of the human experience by brooding on themes of despair, loss and yearning. Violence and crime also lurk in the shadows of Whithren, with outlawed gangs always on the hunt for the prized tickets to escape via the cargo ships. It's a notion showing how people can go to great lengths when pushed to their limits by adverse elements, literal and metaphorical.

What sets The Wanting Mare apart from many other films in the genre, is its breathtaking cinematography and VFX usage. The visual effects in the film are as much a character as the inhabitants of Whithren. There's a subdued aesthetic appeal in the city's oppressively warm landscapes, the vast ocean views, and the stunning, dream-like visuals of the horses.

This film reveals its intricacies in whispers and fragments, not expositions. It demands patience and engagement from the viewer, as it slowly weaves its narrative with an emphasis on powerful visuals and atmospheric ambient music, rather than relying on dialogue. It's like a poetic narrative that seeks to express while keeping things veiled, almost dancing on the thin ice of ambiguity.

The performances by the entire cast, Jordan Monaghan, Josh Clark and Yasamin Keshtkar in particular, complement Bateman's visionary storytelling. They manage to convey a range of emotions largely through their acting skills rather than voicing dialogues, a challenging task accomplished with great finesse.

In conclusion, The Wanting Mare presents a deeply philosophical and aesthetically compelling take on themes of longing and human connection. Although it moves in its own rhythm and timbre which might require some time to adjust to, it rewards the viewer with its poetic storytelling, intense emotional explorations and its avant-garde style of filmmaking. A definite pick for those who enjoy introspective cinema that pushes the boundaries and isn't afraid to be different.