Werewolf

Werewolf is an intense drama film released in 2016, directed and written by critically acclaimed, Ashley McKenzie. The film is set in the steadily decreasing town of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and explores the grim but tender lives of two lost souls clawing their way through the modern-day wilderness of society and addiction. The movie brilliantly casts a strong ensemble of actors with lead performances by Andrew Gillis and Bhreagh MacNeil alongside Mark Woodland.

The movie opens with our two main characters, Blaise and Nessa, played impressively by Andrew Gillis and Bhreagh MacNeil respectively, who are a young couple dealing with a shared methadone addiction. They live on society's margins, in a town that seems to have been forgotten by the rest of the world. Their addiction forms the central theme of the film, examining how they are continually entrapped by their circumstances, their drug dependency, and to a greater extent, by each other. Their sustenance - both emotional and financial, partially relying on their old, battered push mower, using it to hustle by mowing lawns around their small town.

Andrew Gillis provides a compelling performance as Blaise, a man whose instability and unpredictability serve as a timebomb against the couple's fragile existence. Bhreagh MacNeil, on the other hand, delivers an equally arresting performance as Nessa, whose quiet resilience and attempts to escape the dismal situation make her a potent and evocative character. In a world that seems stacked against her, Nessa seemingly stands as a beacon of hope, embodying the belief that, despite the cyclical nature of addiction, change and escape are possible.

Mark Woodland fits seamlessly into the supporting role, providing an outsider's perspective to Blaise and Nessa's hardscrabble lives. Woodland's character brings to light the community's attitude towards the couple - a complex mixture of pity, contempt, ignorance, and general indifference that further highlights the couple's isolation.

The storytelling style is bleak and austere, coupled with an observational lens that leaves no space for sentimentality or melodrama, making each scene feel raw and real. The film showcases a myriad of close-ups that put into focus the couples' struggle, desperation, betrayal, and rare moments of joy, effectively delivering a poignant narrative of their life.

The shifting, overlapping power dynamics between Blaise and Nessa is a recurring theme throughout the film, with the narrative consistently portraying the vulnerable, toxic, and sometimes abusive relationship impacted by addiction. McKenzie does not shy away from the harsh reality of this dynamic, exposing its gritty details to the audience without unnecessary dramatization or gratuitous violence. Yet, she also frequently injects scenes of tenderness and genuine affection between the characters, revealing that their relationship, like them, is not solely defined by their addiction.

The presentation of the environment also plays a vital role in the film. The town of Cape Breton is presented as a hard, bleak landscape that is at once beautiful yet unforgiving. McKenzie's lens captures the stark contrast of stunning coastal vistas against harsh trailer park grit, mirroring the characters' situation. The melancholy background score and effective use of silence intensify the oppressive atmosphere that traps these characters.

Moreover, McKenzie's ability to capture the couple's daily routine, their monotonous methadone clinic visits, their endless lawn-mowing under the oppressive sun lends the movie a docudrama feel. The ordinariness of the duo’s regimen, and their constant struggle to keep despair at bay, add a profound sense of realism to the narrative.

On the technical front, the cinematography uses a minimalist aesthetic that suits the film's intense narrative. The sparse dialogues allow visual storytelling to take center stage, creating a rich tapestry of emotions, despair, and hope painted against the bleak backdrop of addiction.

In conclusion, Werewolf is a hard-hitting depiction of addiction and the devastation it can wreak on relationships and dreams. It serves as a testament to human survival and resilience against all odds. Its storytelling demands empathy for its characters, not sympathy, making it a thought-provoking cinematic viewing. It isn't an easy watch filled with facile redemption or cheap resolution, but it leaves a lasting, profound impact on the viewer.