Lost Transmissions (2019, Katharine O'Brien)

"Don't let go. I'm drifting out of orbit."

I really enjoyed Lost Transmissions which included a subdued performance by Juno Temple and a screaming, schizophrenic Simon Pegg. Writer/director Katharine O'Brien was also the co-writer on The Automatic Hate, one of the top films of the 2010s.

I didn't really notice how against type Temple was playing until the Q&A. They discussed how she was more internal, which didn't strike me, because she was very present and still very full of different emotions. Temple plays Hannah, an upcoming American singer/songwriter that doesn't want to get caught up in the music "industry" and still wants to retain her sense of self. She still has issues and literal scars, but for the most part, she has overcome them. However, she still has a devil-may-care attitude: mocking Theo when he asks her to "whisper" the lyrics and sitting on the mixing board.

"They're not nails; they're claws."

Theo (Simon Pegg) thinks "they" are communicating underneath the static of the radio. Despite having lots of work, he thinks he has a "flatlining career". Other people refer to Theo's "insanity" and it's clear that he has issues as he insults people, trespasses on others' property, and goes in and out of mental hospitals. With a story personal to writer/director Katharine O'Brien, she talks about how this story was based on a friend of hers.

"Ghosts are memories that electrons have."

With cinematography by Arnau Valls Colomer, the film features Juno Temple's Hannah in the studio at the end. A beautiful double reflection occurred which Temple referred to as a "split reflection". Moments like this made me realize how smooth everything came out. They also used LiveGrain to give the film a more analog feel.

Jonathan Bates wrote most of the original songs and co-wrote "Sleepless Days, Sleepless Nights" with Juno Temple who also performed the song.

 In the Q&A, Juno Temple talked about how she didn't think she could be a method actor or she'd be dead fifteen times over. Another interesting fact is that she said she color-coded her script based on her character's emotions.

 A very interesting film, both it and its soundtrack is due to be released Friday, March 13, 2020.

Q&A with actress Juno Temple and writer/director Katharine O'Brien, moderated by Jeff Goldsmith

Vegan alert:
-Hannah puts milk in her cereal
-Hannah wears wool sweaters
-Man with fur coat
-Theo wears a fur cap
-Hannah's wool animal print sweater dress