Shadows on the Wall | The Chronology of Water

The Chronology of Water

dir-scr Kristen Stewart
prd Michael Pruss, Rebecca Feuer, Charles Gillibert, Yulia Zayceva, Max Pavlov, Svetlana Punte
with Imogen Poots, Thora Birch, Susannah Flood, Tom Sturridge, Kim Gordon, Michael Epp, Jim Belushi, Earl Cave, Charlie Carrick, Anna Wittowsky, Marlena Sniega, Esme Creed-Miles
release US 9.Jan.26, UK 6.Feb.26
25/US 2h08

CANNES FILM FEST

Is it streaming?

For her writing-directing debut, Kristen Stewart crafts an ambitiously artful adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir. It's an impressive approach to storytelling that stresses senses and feelings rather than details and plot. The result is almost painterly, forcing the audience to find the narrative in a kaleidoscopic swirl of images. Yes, this is also rather indulgent, holding the audience at arm's length even though it's raw and intimate.

Lidia (Poots) sees her life as a cycle of moving fragments, starting when she was a young girl (Wittowsky) with teen sister Claudia (Sniega) facing challenges of life with a dazed mother (Flood) and abusive father (Epp). A promising swimmer, Lidia's Olympic hopes dissolve in a blur of drugs, alcohol and sex when she goes to university in Texas. Then in Oregon, she gets a chance to write with Ken Kesey (Belushi), while exploring new sexual expressions. She also finally begins to discover her voice, which allows her to take control of her past.

Jarringly edited imagery is accompanied by a whispery, mumbly voiceover that isn't afraid to pile one cliche on top of another. Genuinely sweet moments are intertwined with horrible excesses. This is most notable in Lidia's odd romance with Phillip (Cave), who is so nice that he makes her furiously violent. Claudia (later played by Birch) offers the family bond she needs. And she has messy relationships with a druggy artist (Sturridge) and a sadomasochistic mentor (Gordon) before meeting someone (Carrick) who surprisingly gets her.

Performances feel as improvised as the plotting, gently revealing elements about the characters without ever trying to make a point. So the actors are fully invested in their roles, with a notably immersive turn from Poots at the centre. The way Lidia sparks with the people in her life is fascinating, while the true story here traces her discovery and acceptance of herself, and the way she channels her pain into her writing. And her path to healing is very rough indeed.

The flickering approach allows Stewart to pepper the screen with images of water, plus repeated references to menstruation. None of the story's details quite come into focus, which is clearly intentional. This uncertainty weakens the emotional impact of quite a few major elements of Lidia's life. Instead, the film asks us to feel the chaotic mix of emotions that combine to make up this complex woman. As a result, it speaks to us in an unusually visceral way.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 8.Jan.26

R E A D E R R E V I E W S

Still waiting for your comments ... don't be shy.