Set between New York City and the far north of Norway, “The Sunlit Night” follows American painter Frances and émigré Yasha as an unlikely pair who find each other in the Arctic circle.
In a land where the sun never sets during the summer months, “The Sunlit Night” reminds audiences that not everywhere is like Kansas. Or even New York for that matter. As a study in contrasts, the western edge of far northern Scandinavia offers up stark and pastoral beauty of enormous proportion – one of the centerpieces of this elegant film.
Native New Yorker Frances (Jenny Slate) finds herself stuck in a bit of a creative rut and in need of change. That she manages to accomplish in full measure when she accepts an internship with a noted visual artist across the Atlantic in Norway. As with most coming-of-age films, the journey is at least as important as the destination.
Early on we see Frances’ father, David Paymer, who whines eloquently as always. Here, he laments his apparently endless travails, and sometimes – albeit inadvertently – even invokes the plight of his wife Mirela (Jessica Hecht). As but one example, he abruptly and insensitively announces over dinner that he and Mirela are separating, as if he were relaying a birthday greeting. Frances no doubt concludes that such an occasion is probably as good a time as any to leave the big city for a while.
Upon arriving in Norway, Frances meets Nils (Fridtjov Såheim), a predictably taciturn and moody artist. Though a tough taskmaster, he is not altogether without feeling. Matter-of-factly, he leads Frances to a small trailer that serves as an adequate, if Spartan, refuge. From morning to evening – though all the hours of the day look the same – Frances engages in Nils’ paint-by-number project across the face of a very large, dilapidated barn. As she soon learns, art of such magnitude more closely resembles dreary construction work.
Later on, Frances befriends Yasah (Alex Sharp), a baker’s son with a flair for the art of bread making. His recently deceased and loving father (Olek Krupa) appears in flashbacks, providing a familiar, endearing presence in the constant company of his quiet, yet cheerful son.
When time permits, Frances uses some it to develop her own artistic inclinations to good effect. When she eventually returns to New York, she finds herself enriched and renewed, attracting some welcome recognition as well.
Gillian Anderson shows up periodically to add some comic relief, as does Zack Galifianakis, both of whom manage to serve up a few chuckles, though little else. Despite the fleeing levity they bring to various scenes, it almost feels as if they came on board as a favor to the producers.
Directed by David Wnendt, based on the novel and screenplay by Rebecca Dinerstein Knight, the quirky indy production moves confidently across a breathtaking Norwegian landscape that never dims during the seemingly endless summer. Though the narrative paces deliberately, sometimes to a fault, “The Sunlit Night” nonetheless knows where it’s going, and eventually arrives in a suitable fashion.
Available on VOD Friday, July 17th
