Unconformity (2022) Film Review
Consistency is important in any film. Whatever the genre or production level, filmmakers should always be aware of the position they’re in. This will ground any expectations they may have, and will actually help in the final result. There are films that lack this and it’s noticeable. And yes, you can see this in big studio films.
With Unconformity, you get the instant feeling that writer/director Jonathan DiMaio is aware of the world and circumstances he’s in. His Unconformity is a relatively small film, with a storyline that is fairly simple, albeit compelling considering the setting it takes place in. Nevertheless, he leaves the window open for the audience to dig into a conflict that has more to do with discovering the kind of society we’re living in and how we see the past and take notice of ancestry. In the middle, a friendship story between two souls shattered by completely different elements.
Alex is trying to survive a betrayal in academia. An idea she had was stolen by someone she trusted and now she’s left with an inspirational void that’s not cured by a professor who seems to validate the despicable act committed by Alex’s peer. This leaves her no choice but to explore in the middle of nowhere and find motivation elsewhere.
This is where she meets Nick, a young man living under the shadow of a dominant father and his decisions for surviving in a complicated business. Both of them meet in very important circumstances of their lives, but this doesn’t mean it’s automatically a good thing. Alex’s ambition may tamper an already dying endeavor carried out by the broken family.
Unconformity wouldn’t work if it weren’t for the two lead performances by Alex Oliver and Jack Mulhern, two young outstanding actors who accomplish the portrayal of a relationship that’s far from romantic but it’s close to necessary and almost essential. Their encounter is random but it’s the driving force behind a film whose spirit is very still and quiet. Even when it’s very emotional, Unconformity is a calm feature about a conflict that isn’t resolved in a climactic manner.
The narrative structure is far from traditional. This is a film that doesn’t need to be explosive and ridden with commentary. DiMaio is vocal about the autobiographical aspect of the film, and it doesn’t call for unnecessary manipulation of the plot. In its purest form, Unconformity is a simple portrait of human behavior when facing the improbable, and when a positive outcome lies beyond this feeling of failure.
The Mojave Desert seems like a place where a film of this nature can’t work. Geology and rock-climbing may be important but not for general audiences. But DiMaio doesn’t delve too much in using the environment as much more than a landscape for something much more important: how to overcome the basic obstacles when figuring out the best way to make your dreams come true. Even if they involve studying inert objects like rocks.
