where the lobsters sing this There is such a boring moral fantasy that underpins America’s misguided idealism. It is an attempt at a complex story of rejection, difference and survival. But the film, like the novel on which it is based, highlights the issues – race, gender and class – that shape its narrative and bolster its larger thesis, resulting in a story that says more about how the white race operates in an allergic society. to interdependence. . rather than how communities deal with young people.
Directed by Olivia Newman (the first gameThe film adaptation of the popular and controversial novel of the same name by Delia Owens tells the story of a shy and reserved girl who grows up in the swamps of North Carolina and becomes embroiled in a terrifying police investigation. Her name is Kia (Daisy Edgar-Jones from Normal people, new s under the flag Honey), but to the inhabitants of the neighboring town, whose inhabitants despise her, she is simply called “Swamp Girl”. Her account of her life is remarkable because it requires a powerful suspension of disbelief, a complete abandonment of logic, and a complete submission to the working rhythms of this story.
where the crabs sing
A confused moral imagination.
Since its publication in 2018, Owens’ novel has received widespread praise and strong reviews. Reese Witherspoon, one of the film’s producers, made it a book club selection in September of that year and it has sold 12 million copies to date. amateurs where the crabs sing I often admire her beautiful depictions of Kia’s world and her seemingly captivating narrative of a girl abandoned and let down by just about everyone in her life.
Those less enamored of the style and the glorification of hyper-independence have noted Owens’ disturbing treatment of black characters, the tinge of classism in his use of dialect, and the unsettling connections between the novel and Owens’ alleged involvement in a televised murder in the 1990s. 1990. .Poachers in Zambia. This last story in particular reveals a disturbing level of white Salvadoran in relation to African countries. That Owens, already known before the novel, has managed to build an even more successful career despite the details of his past that resurface is intriguing.
where the crabs singIssues can be traced back to the source material. story, adapted for the screen by Lucy Alibar (beasts of the south), begins with the murder of Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson), a beloved resident of the fictional town of Barkley Cove. The police find his body in the swamp and, after casually checking the perimeter, declare it a murder.
The townspeople, a critical and gossipy group, are quick to point the finger at Kia, a naturalist and recluse who has lived in the surrounding swamps for 25 years. After the police arrest Kia (she tries but fails to escape onto the green, grassy terrain), she is sent to prison. Tom Milton (David Strathairn), a local lawyer who has known Kia since she was a barefoot girl, decides to represent the young woman.
Superbly shot by cinematographer Polly Morgan, the film interweaves scenes of a nervous Kia in court with flashbacks to her past. Sometimes through the voiceovers, Kia includes additional details about her relationships and feelings towards other people. The first flashback takes us to 1953, where the swamp scenes, painted in a bright, warm palette, are interrupted by the soft gray reality of Kia’s creation. She is one of five children who, in addition to her mother (Ahna O’Reilly), is abused by her temperamental, alcoholic father (Gareth Dillahunt). One by one, Kia’s family members, starting with her mother, emerge from the swamp. It is never explained why neither of them tries to take the smaller child with them.
This plot leaves room for a situation where Kia, whose father has finally left, lives alone in her small family home that sits on acres of swamp. It also allows the film to establish what will become Kia’s most important connection: her relationship with the black couple who own the local grocery store, Mabel (Michael Hyatt) and Jumpin (Sterling Macer, Jr.).
Kia, with the help of this incredibly thin couple, manages to live together. He wakes up at dawn to collect mussels, which he sells to Jumpin for food. Mabel teaches her to count, gives her gifts and makes her beautiful dresses (here, the beautiful work of costume designer Mirren Gordon-Crosier). Sometimes Kya needs to avoid child services and aggressive developers.
Despite where the crabs sing Wanting to emphasize Kia’s hyper-independence, she survives thanks to the help of Mabel, Jumpin, and eventually Tate Walker (Taylor John Smith). Tate, a distinguished blond-haired, blue-eyed city boy, leaves Kia with a seed, teaches her to read and write, and promotes her gift for identifying and drawing swamp shells, insects, plants, and animals. Their relationship develops slowly, in the manner of a pre-planned young adult romance.
Kia is a confusing figure given the film’s twists and turns; For someone whose survival skills and instincts are repeatedly telegraphed, he is dangerously naive. Jojo Regina, who plays Kia as a child, and Edgar-Jones, who plays her as a young girl, try to understand her, but their performances can’t overcome the inconsistency on the page.
More flashbacks (1953, then 1962, then 1968) show how Kia’s relationship with the world beyond the swamp changes. She learns love and trust. Her Heart Breaks: The most moving scene in Edgar-Jones is when Kia, realizing that she has been abandoned again, passes out on the beach. Morgan’s mastery of lighting is evident here, and I would be remiss not to mention the beauty of the film, which was shot in the thick swamps of Louisiana.
Over the years, Kia starts to believe in herself more. He becomes less secretive, finds new ways to share his talent with the world and earn more money. You will fall in love again. Combine this coming-of-age arc with the courtroom scenes (set in 1969) and where the lobsters It’s like a weird fusion of a Nicholas Sparks movie. Help s Kill a Mockingbird. Although the last two examples contained a small amount of racial consciousness, where the crabs sing Mostly this is missing.
The narrative is heavily based on racial and gender stereotypes and class thinking. Mabel and Jumpin are there to help save Kia. Kia’s beauty and delicacy are so exaggerated that she looks more like a maniacal pixie dreamer than a misanthropic heroine. We rely too much on ticking time bombs to keep us distracted. for many people where the crabs sing It hit an emotional chord, but it’s worth considering what you had to ignore to get there.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
