Many might laud Kristen Stewart’s feature directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, as an ambitious psychological drama bursting with incredible confidence behind the camera. And they would certainly be right to think this way. The movie, itself an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s book of the same name, immediately grabs you from the minute it opens through a collage of past and present fragments of Yuknavitch’s (played in the film by Imogen Poots) tormented mind, still attempting to process the abuse she dealt with as a child at the hands of her father (played by Michael Epp).
Discussion
Some scenes in this 128-minute experimental debut are incredibly tough to watch, such as the miscarriage of her child or anything that involves substance abuse, of which she will sadly fall into the trap. Rather than taking a distanced approach in showing us the complexities and challenges of Yuknatvitch’s life, Stewart puts us in the middle of her mind, which can create an overwhelming experience that’s best felt rather than being purely “seen.” The multisensory assault, proposed by Stewart, director of photography Corey C. Walters, and editor Olivia Neergaard-Holm, stuns you from the moment it opens and never lets you go until its sobering final shot. It’s a lot, and for some moviegoers, it may be too much.
In a sense, The Chronology of Water shares many formal similarities with RaMell Ross’ Oscar-nominated feature, Nickel Boys, though that film employed its collage techniques to more artistically compelling heights than Stewart’s debut, which is certainly confident but lacks in tons of substance beneath its alluring surface. As the two-hour runtime trudges toward its conclusion, Stewart begins to repeat many of the thematic beats she laid out in the movie’s introductory half, without much development on the protagonist’s front. Yuknavitch was once a promising swimmer whose academic prospects were cut short by a controlling, abusive father. Unfortunately, the movie never fully delves into what it presents; instead, it offers an in-your-face perspective to the audience.
The confrontational nature of the project is certainly admirable, and I personally think more actor-turned-director efforts should be this bold in their aesthetic presentation, not to be what most audiences think a “Kristen Stewart film” will be.
Characterizations
However, once we start examining what it all means, the movie begins to fall under its own weight, starting from its dialogues that are far more potent when married with strong images than when the film sits for a couple of brief seconds with Yuknavitch, her mother (played by Susannah Flood), father, or sister (played by Thora Birch). When it attempts to move away from its experimental, associative nature and tries to flesh out some important elements of Yuknavitch’s life, the dialogues don’t read as natural, and the performances don’t accomplish much in giving texture to an otherwise textureless feature.
Particularly, Poots is woefully miscast. It’s a film that attempts to be both subtle, giving nuance to Yuknavitch’s plight through unspoken words and sullen facial expressions, while simultaneously conveying much of her tormented mind through a maximalist aesthetic. An actor who can perform in both registers is needed, but none of it feels authentic to the lead performer. The only times when we peer into her psyche compellingly are when Yuknavitch meets bestselling (and eccentric) author Ken Kesey (Jim Belushi), the first person in her life who genuinely believes in her talents.
While his screentime is limited, contained to one chapter (of five) in the movie, Belushi’s impact on Yuknavitch’s journey is long-lasting, and the conversations they hold are emotionally gut-wrenching. Kesey’s feelings aren’t represented in how he positions himself (through an often drunk and stoned exterior), but in how his long pauses mean more to Yuknavitch than anything he will ever say. It’s Belushi’s best performance in a (very) long time, and one I’ll think about for a while. If there’s a sole element Stewart wants us to ruminate on, then it may be the close-knit friendship Yuknavitch had with the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest author, because the rest of the movie is thematically muddled, as aesthetically powerful as it may be.
Final Thoughts on The Chronology of Water
Strong images are important in film, but if they aren’t filled with any form of raw significance, then it becomes difficult for anyone to attach themselves to the picture. And while I found The Chronology of Water to be an ambitiously daring feature debut from one of our best actresses working today, what lurks beneath its exterior isn’t as compelling as its filmmaker might have hoped. Stewart seems poised to make her mark as a director, which is more than laudable, especially given how complex and multifaceted her career in front of the camera has been. Her debut shows promise, perhaps more promise than Scarlett Johansson’s awful Eleanor the Great. However, the thematic elements need more refinement than her image-making, which feels refreshing in a moviegoing society that has lost the will to craft anything compelling for the big screen anymore…
That’s why I think The Chronology of Water might be an isolated disappointment, because I’m genuinely confident Stewart’s next directing effort will be generational.
Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water is now playing in theaters!
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