You really don't need to know much more about this film aside from the brief blurb currently posted. A detailed synopsis will actually diminish the experience in my opinion. The film is a black and white production set in 1960s Oklahoma. The story is centrally about an unlikely relationship between two young women. That's as much as you need to know.
From a technical perspective, the depth of field was above average even for a studio production. As an independent film, the photography earns extra points. The production was shot on location so we can't talk about set design. However, the costumes and staging were pretty spectacular too.
I was a little disappointed to learn the film was dual-chromatic. Meaning the producers and director essentially shot both in color and non-color before deciding which cut to release. The film wasn't exclusively crafted as a black and white film. On the upside though, the director obviously took care enough to ensure everything contrasted well in black and white from the beginning. The contrast is very well done and obviously extensively planned.
The best part of the film is probably the performances though. Kara Hayward steals the show in my opinion. However, there is such a long list of supporting roles it's hard to say which one is best. Liana Liberato deserves a mention as an essential co-star but the list really doesn't end there. If I had to level any criticism, I'd say the male performances didn't really keep up.
The difference probably relates more to writing than how the actors were portrayed but the difference is noticeable. All the male characters, with maybe one exception, are decidedly two dimensional. The female characters, whether by acting or writing, display a lot more depth and interest for the viewer. The distinction was obviously intentional. However, there is a problem.
Without giving anything away, the sheer volume of depth almost overwhelms the film at some points. I feel as though there were too many interesting plot lines to explore. The film might have accomplished more with less. Instead, I encountered some odd cropped scenes where you're left wondering where some of the ideas came or went.
Not exactly continuity glitches. More like questions left hanging. I won't tell you the details. Suffices to say though, the climax of the film ends up feeling a bit rushed and most of the sub-plots leave the film feeling inconclusive. One loose end was certainly intentional. However, I'm talking about the film as a whole.
Go watch and enjoy. The film is a lot more successful than not. If you have the time, you should ask yourself where the title came from. That's one of those explained loose ends.
