Fourteen

Two twentysomething women watch their teenage friendship fade away in the latest keenly observed feature from critic-turned-filmmaker Dan Sallitt (The Unspeakable Act, MIFF 2013).

In a role that was written for her, The Unspeakable Act’s Tallie Medel (Notes on an Appearance, MIFF 2018; Stinking Heaven, MIFF 2015) anchors another intricate examination of a complicated relationship, stripping away the rose-tinted sisterhood that typically colours films about female friendships.

When they were 14, Mara and Jo’s odd-couple bond was a soothing balm in a tumultuous world. Now, for the reliable and increasingly focused Mara at least, it’s just work. The ever-erratic Jo is always in need of help but can never reciprocate, a cycle that keeps perpetuating over the years – as jobs, boyfriends and apartments come and go, and as their lives veer in different directions.

“Sallitt’s too-infrequent filmmaking efforts, all self-funded, always feel like they come from another planet of cinema entirely from what is being made in America on either end of the budget scale.” – MUBI Notebook