When I’m a Moth Review
When I’m a Moth is a 2019 feature film directed by Zachary Cotler and Magdalena Zyzak.
An introspective but far too listless film that never quite starts or ends in any meaningful place, When I’m a Moth just doesn’t ever quite find a solid tone or pace to provide an extra layer to the narrative.
Starting with the positives here, the film, from a visual perspective, is shot really well. With solid use of anamorphic lenses to give an instant cinematic appeal, there is a lot to enjoy with the framing and cinematography. The wardrobe choices, especially for Hillary, are great too. Even the score carries weight where it needs to throughout.
Much like the one note portrayal of an emotionless Hillary Clinton, though the film never really explores past the existential dread it starts out with. What results is a lot of tedious dialogue that doesn’t really go anywhere or raise any stakes for the characters involved.
With everything carrying an inconsequential feeling, what is there really for the viewer to hold on to? It sadly just doesn’t culminate into much. Add to that the thicker dialect of Ryohei and Mitsuru, which provides authenticity, but also makes for some lines of dialogue that will inevitably be missed and when most of the film relies so much on these exchanges, it can make for a tough watch.
The acting from all three leads is executed well enough. With a more dialogue focused film, they have to do a lot of heavy lifting. While no one is a tour de force standout over the rest, they at least hit the right notes in their acting caliber to make sure nothing becomes too tedious.
The overall problem, though, becomes who this film is really for. After watching the whole thing, it is ultimately hard to say. An average movie goer might prove too fickle to sit this one through, and a more intense film buff might have a lack of interest because of no true fresh concepts beyond the initial premise.
When I’m a Moth, unfortunately doesn’t take enough of a risk with the premise it starts out with. When you have a larger-than-life political figure like Hillary Clinton as a starting point, there just needs to be more meat on the bones, so to speak. There was a lot of intrigue going into this viewing experience, but nothing that was paid off by the end. It all just fell a little one note by the time the credits rolled.
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Cheers!
Daniel Hess
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