‘Rew Torn’ Review: A Wacky Crime Comedy

Several alternate realities, none familiar with ours, coexist in “Sew Torn,” a high-concept crime farce intertwining guns, haberdashery, innocence, culpability, and genre grit with fantastical elements. Freddy Macdonald, a 24-year-old writer-director-editor, makes his debut with an eccentric feature that draws structural inspiration from Tom Tykwer’s “Run Lola Run.” This film, despite its inspirations, appears poised to cultivate its unique following through its mix of small-town antics, dark noir tension, and inventive comedy.

“Sew Torn” might delight some viewers with its whimsical charm, while others may perceive it as an overly elaborate joke. However, it’s sure to pique curiosity about Macdonald. Derived from his 2019 short of the same name, the feature has already left a mark, leading to Macdonald’s signing with UTA and making him the youngest director ever accepted to the AFI Conservatory. The feature retains a touch of a student project, evident in its straightforward script co-written with his father Fred, but shines through its technical prowess and engaging storytelling.

The film charmed audiences at SXSW and continued its run with an international premiere at Locarno’s Piazza Grande program. Indie distributors with a penchant for genre films will likely take notice. The narrative begins with protagonist Barbara (Eve Connolly) musing over choices, a thematic element that echoes throughout the film. As the storyline rewinds and branches out, she invites the audience to judge her decisions and moral standing.

Barbara’s journey unfolds in a picturesque Swiss Alpine valley, juxtaposed with inconsistencies like English-speaking locals and indeterminate timelines, adding to the film’s surreal quality. Barbara, an orphan striving to maintain her late mother’s mobile seamstress business, faces a near-defeated juncture. Her business, known for creating cross-stitch “talking portraits,” isn’t thriving in the fantastical Switzamerica.

A pivotal scene occurs when Barbara, tasked with adjusting a wedding dress for Grace (Caroline Goodall), misplaces a crucial button. Her journey to find a replacement leads her to an unexpected crime scene involving injured motorcyclists, scattered cocaine, and a briefcase full of cash. At this crossroads, Barbara’s options: take the money, call the police, or ignore it, set off multiple narrative threads.

The consequences of each choice bring Barbara face-to-face with gangster Hudson (John Lynch), and sheriff Ms. Engel (K Callan). These interactions invariably put her in comedic yet perilous situations, relying on her sewing skills to navigate through.

The film’s absurd setups, especially Barbara sewing her escape in intricate ways, reveal its essence. One standout sequence sees Barbara maneuvering through a cotton maze in a choreographed dance set to a Betty Hutton number, embracing the film’s surreal humor.

While the thriller aspects of “Sew Torn” serve as a backdrop, the characters are abstract, reducing the plot’s life-and-death stakes. Still, Connolly’s endearing portrayal keeps viewers engaged with Barbara’s unpredictable actions. Enhanced by Sebastian Klinger’s vivid cinematography and Viviane Rapp’s nostalgic production design, the film creates a timeless toytown where reality can be reshaped and stitched back together.

If Macdonald can apply his unique vision to broader narratives and bigger projects, he might be on the verge of something significant.

Source: Variety