The Huckleberries Vol. 9 - Pillion & Wuthering Heights

     Obviously we want to have an area for reviewing new films here at The Film Encomium, but we want to send a message with our methodology. That message is a simple one: Don’t forget about the fun. 

Yes, film can be transformative, prophetic, and groundbreaking. It can also be none of those things and still be a damn good time, and we want to validate both of those experiences. If your drive is to sear your heart with the very real ache of love, we recommend Wong Kar-Wai—but if you want to become well-rounded, you’ll snuggle up for a terribly predictable Lifetime movie once in a while.

It is from the balance of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn that we draw inspiration for the title of this section. Tom is clever; Tom is great. If there were one of those boys we were going to try to get into Harvard, it would be young Mr. Sawyer…but he will always need his Huckleberry. 

We all need our Huckleberries. Art needs its Huckleberries. Sometimes beauty is in the little things and reasoned reflection. Other times beauty is loud, bright, and bold. In the interest of providing our readers with a comprehensive experience, we are not willing to skip The Huckleberries. 

So, with that in mind, here are two engrossing flicks that dropped in theaters recently. The first will take you in ways you never dreamed of and leave you begging for more. The second will put some classic English on an English classic. Enjoy!

Pillion -

Exceptional on every level. A deep dive into kink and the way subculture intertwines with the more vanilla world around it. A directorial debut from Harry Lighton that is overpowering and provocative, but also funny, tender, and charming. Performances from Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling that are individually brilliant and collaboratively iconic. What really ties it all together? Impartiality. 

When portraying something as deeply personal as an alternative lifestyle, it can be nearly impossible to do so dispassionately. It isn’t the sort of content one is driven to reflect upon without having a weighted agenda on the subject. As such, many of the greatest LGBTQ+ movies we’ve ever seen come packaged with a tangible message. Nothing wrong with that, if you are producing a story about the Gay Rights movement, it should probably make a statement that equality is positive.

Nonetheless, one of the refreshing touches of Pillion is that it leaves room for the audience to draw their own conclusions. Skarsgård is godlike in his portrayal of Ray, and his stature is awe-inspiring enough that the audience has no trouble finding themselves transplanted into the jittery shoes of Melling’s Colin. What really works as the mortar for the storyline is the characters of Colin’s parents—portrayed by Lesley Sharp and Douglas Hodge.

These two come off as the most adoring support system imaginable, and their attempts at balancing their concern for their son with their desire to give him space to grow truly create some of the most heartwarming moments of the film. If it weren’t for this dynamic, the movie would still be sexy, naughty, and exciting. With the addition of this lens, the questions being asked by the piercing gaze of the outside world are ever-present over the entire relationship of the primary couple. It illustrates how even the most well-intentioned of allies can be a burden. 

The truth is that this film could have settled for being a lot less than it is. It had every opportunity to kick back and be something that is pretty to look at. What it chose to do instead is flawlessly illustrate the depth and complexity of intertwining emotions present in the formation of utter infatuation. Insecurities and desires collapsing upon themselves into a neutron star of lust and adoration. Pillion doesn’t bother with some easily perceptible caricature of love; it strives for the type of love that can only be witnessed. If you’re up for the punishment, this movie will give you your reward. 

Wuthering Heights -

If one takes a step back to analyze the reception “Wuthering Heights” has received, it is hard to not be struck by the different standards society has for women in expressing their weirdness. Emerald Fennell’s brand of eccentricity is not a 1:1 match for that of a young Tim Burton, but there are some aesthetic similarities, and they certainly have resonating personalities that shine through in their work—leading to notable success early on in their respective careers. Whatever reasonable barriers a director is expected to cross before taking on loose adaptations of classic works, Fennell and Burton clearly both paid their dues before putting their own spins on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Wuthering Heights. 

Nobody went into 1999’s Sleepy Hollow with the impression that they were going to get a pristine recreation of Washington Irving, so why was there this prevailing expectation that the mind who brought us Saltburn was just going to trot out a presentation formatted for Victorian sensibilities? She even had the good grace to put the title in quotation marks and clarify her intentions to the press; Tim Burton would never. The reality is that Emerald Fennell has an odd and brilliant way of seeing stories, and as the viewing public we owe it to her to give her space to be strange. 

No one who is associated with this film needs any of that explanation—perhaps the strongest factor this film has going for it is how earnestly the entire cast embraces the vision. Charli XCX contributes an entire soundtrack in a film that is in direct competition with her own mockumentary, and that sets the tone for these proceedings on so many levels. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi both tap into the specific hot-to-crazy ratios necessary for an iconic portrayal of Catherine and Heathcliff, and some brilliant support from a cast spearheaded by Hong Chau really affords the former two the space to run wild. 

This film is not a faithful direct adaptation of the source material it is derived from, but that is an intentional artistic choice, not a missed target. It is a sexually charged venture into both the familiar and the bizarre. It really might not be your cup of tea, but at least it isn’t going to waste anyone’s time trying to convince you it is. 

~The Film Encomium~