Goldilocks and the Two Bears writer/director Jeff Lipsky is no stranger to the world of indie cinema. With a career mentored by the iconic John Cassavetes (for whom he distributed such familiars as A Woman Under the Influence, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and Opening Night), Lipsky's long history in indie cinema is well documented and deeply respected. Lipsky co-founded October Films, Lot 47 Films, and Adopt Films and has been involved in releasing such greats as My Dinner With Andre, Sid andNancy, Life is Sweet, and Stranger Than Paradise among others.
With Goldilocks and the Two Bears, Lipsky has crafted a quiet little gem of a film that lands with a remarkable emotional impact. The film centers around three strangers who unexpectedly encounter one another in an unoccupied condo seven miles off the Vegas Strip. Over the course of eight days, they discover their common ground and begin to wonder if they might be each other's salvation.
Ivy (Claire Milligan) arrives at the unoccupied condo formerly owned by her late grandmother having experienced a remarkable tragedy. Ingrid (Serra Naiman) and Ian (Bryan Mittelstadt) are two drifters with hopes and dreams yet on the cusp of letting them all go.
The three meet and we can feel the fragility. There are a myriad of ways this could all go and Lipsky makes sure we feel all of them. However, something resembling a bond begins to form that offers a sliver of light amidst trauma, grief, and darkness.
Yet, there is still that trauma, grief, and darkness.
At first glance, this 136-minute film seems as if it can't possibly justify its lengthy running time. Yet, Lipsky is a patient filmmaker who gives both his story and his characters room to exhale. More than once, I found myself watching a scene and thinking to myself "Most directors would have cut a few seconds ago."
Not Lipsky. Lipsky waits until his characters are truly done.
We're all the better for it.
Goldilocks and the Two Bears is quietly brave filmmaking. It's a little dangerous. It's a little sexy. It's more than a little intimate. It's comfortable until it's not. It feels almost jarringly true.
Claire Milligan's turn as Ivy is remarkable. Vulnerability and strength are woven tightly into her tapestry with a fragile sexiness that draws you in and practically dares you to look away. We feel Ivy's grief yet we also feel the burgeoning wonder of connection.
We feel so much more.
Serra Naiman similarly shines as Ingrid. Ingrid is a character who could have so easily been a one-note creation. Naiman refuses to let that happen and slowly peels away her layers of the past creating the present and impacting the future. Again, it's tremendous work. As Ian, Bryan Mittelstadt creates what might be the most tangibly realized character yet also paints an aura of mystery. It's compelling to watch.
Zak Ray's lensing is nothing short of powerful. It refuses to let us leave a character or a room or a place. There are so many shots that I find myself thinking about time and again. Costume design by Gabrielle Lewis is effective throughout and Reeyana Singh's production design amplifies the film's sense of existing somewhere hope and desperation.
Goldilocks and the Two Bears is the kind of film that lands an impact that lingers. It was in the hours after watching the film that I began to realize just how engaged I'd become with these characters and just how memorable this journey had been. Goldilocks and the Two Bears quietly yet powerfully unfolds a narrative about second chances, the power of simple human connection, and the impact of curiosity and resilience.
So much more. So much more.
Among the supporting players, Russell Koplin gives a memorable performance as Abigail and young Olivia Gordon is tremendous as Felicia among a truly strong ensemble cast.
Goldilocks and the Two Bears is Lipsky's eighth film in the past 30 years, a film that demands to be seen and experienced and unlikely to be easily forgotten. When you get a chance, and you will, Goldilocks and the Two Bears is a film to check out.
Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic
