- Starring
- Armando Espitia, Christian Vazquez, Michelle Rodríguez
- Writers
- Heidi Ewing, Alan Page
- Director
- Heidi Ewing
- Rating
- R (United States)
- Running Time
- 111 minutes
- Release Date
- January 8th, 2021
Overall Score
Rating Summary
This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Mill Valley Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.
A good amount of the films playing on the virtual festival circuit right now are holdovers from the Sundance Film Festival that won’t get the traditional cinema release that they had hoped for. In the case of I Carry You With Me, it’s too bad that it’s coming out at a time like now – because it’s quite the stunning experience – and one that would’ve been much better in a communal setting.
I Carry You With Me has such a fascinating structure, and it should certainly be commended for that. The film isn’t a documentary in the traditional sense, but the non-professional actors play characters that have nearly identical life stories. It’s quite the unique concept – the way it blends fiction and the truth is quite fascinating. It also helps make the story feel more authentic than it would have otherwise. This is also because of its performances which should not come as much of a surprise as the actors have lived through it. It’s quite impressive how the performers aren’t classically trained. Meanwhile, the cinematography is also gorgeous, giving a warmer atmosphere to Mexico than what is generally shown on film.
The thing that prevents I Carry You With Me from being astounding, however, is primarily the time span it covers. The film attempts to be a sweeping epic in a non-linear form, telling the odyssey of these characters lives in a grander sense. It’s definitely ambitious, but it makes it unnecessarily challenging to follow, and it doesn’t mesh too well with it’s heartfelt tone. All the standout aspects of this film make it worth seeking out – particularly how director Heidi Ewing brings her documentary background to this true story.
It’s just unfortunate that the film’s focus is too vague to allow for true audience engagement.
still courtesy of Sundance
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