Review of Mother Nature (2013) by Matthew S — 11 Nov 2016

Johan Liedgren's film only came to my attention by accident. Talking with a friend on the east coast, he mentioned this film director as a multi-media wiz who also writes about film from time to time. Neither of us had seen this movie. It was on iTunes. No reviews. I took a chance.

"Mother Nature" presents itself within the trappings of an Art Horror film. In reality this is a surrealistic journey into male identity. An unnamed recently or perhaps soon to be divorced father takes his young son on a camping trip.

The father, pitch-perfectly played by Phillip Roebuck, immediately has his "manhood" challenged before he even sets up his tent. The father is obviously under some sort of pressure and presents himself as a passive-agressive but somehow "weak" and tedious man. It is almost as if he wants to assert his power without applying any real energy or sense of purpose. He does not seem like a nice person, but he seems too afraid to fully own his aggression.

As a seductive young woman rather cruelly informs him, his very being makes her want to "mess" with him. She takes an immediate disdain for him. To Liedren and his lead actors' shared credit, there is an uncomfortable truth to what this female tells him. It is within Roebuck's acting, composer Ben Lukas Boysen's highly effective score, Doug Loviska's sharp editing, Trevor Fife's tight cinematography and masterful work of the film's writer/director that this movie avoids any of the traps that most would fall.

This is a precise and bold film that pushes a man beyond his breaking point. Will he rise to the challenge? Can he do so on his own?

Johan Liedgren is too smart to fall back on cliche, trope or easy conclusion. In nature, man is both alone and dependent. Identity matters, but it must cling to animalistic natures to push forward.

It strikes me as tragic that this film has passed by largely unnoticed. If it were in French, German, Danish or Swedish -- this film would have been heralded. Sadly, it most likely got lost in the growing mire of American Film Festival glut.

This film is amazing and is a must see cinematic gem. It is waiting to be discovered for VOD via iTunes or Vimeo. Don't miss it.