The Wake of Light Review: A Beautiful Film With Some Amazing Accompaniment

 

Release date: January 15, 2021
Running time: 85 minutes
Starring: Rome Brooks, Matt Bush, William Morton
Written and Directed By: Renji Philip

A young woman starting to lose hope while caring for her aging father and their broken down farm meets a charismatic young man on a cross country road trip, who falls for her and asks her to join him. Now she has a choice to make.

This is a tough film to really rate because there are so many good components to it.  The cinematography is just beautiful, with some really amazing camera shots and wonderful scenes.  The film takes place in this picturesque, American heartland town that has all the natural beauty you would expect.  And the camera captures it all so perfectly, really highlighting how amazing this looks.  On top of the beautiful camera work, you have some wonderful accompaniment.  The soundtrack features a host of beautiful classical arrangements that shine their brightest when paired with the amazing camera work.  Seriously, the connective tissue here is just stunning and makes you appreciate this film so much more when it is on full display.

The Wake of Light is filled with some quirky and unique characters.  They might not be for everyone, but they are all fully realized.  And the story, although a little odd and linear, provides enough of a setup to get all the characters to interact.  However, the acting can be relatively stiff at times and the writing did not flow as well as I was hoping.  But those scenes then recede to a beautiful shot of the characters interacting in nature and that is when this movie shines.  It really feels like the lines are just there to connect these amazing shots and generally I was OK with that.  And the story, although odd at first, really comes into its own as the movie progresses.  When the characters really start to grow and make choices, that is when this film is at its best.  But overall it feels like a beautiful art house piece with splashes of dialogue here and here.  I actually wish the film had eschewed dialogue altogether for a purely visual and musical experience.

The Wake of Light's beautiful camera work and music will make you appreciate just how precious health and life truly are!

Rent it.

If you liked this review and want to see more from Watch or Pass, please consider 

following us on our various social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube. 

The Wake of Light is available on virtual cinema on January 15, 2021.