The Unspeakable Act (2012)

Directed by: Dan Sallitt
Country: USA

Movie Review: “The Unspeakable Act” managed to tell an awkward story and turn it into a pleasant surprise. After eight years of absence, American filmmaker/writer/editor Dan Sallitt returns with an endearing work that beyond well developed in structure, also stands for honesty in the portrait created, and rigor regarding technical aspects. Jackie Kimball (Tallie Medel) tells us what bothers her right from the beginning; she believes to get into a nervous breakdown because her older brother Matthew (Sky Hirshkron) got a new girlfriend and is preparing to go to Princeton University. Her heartbreak takes such proportions that her inexpressive mother (Aundrea Fares) sends her to therapy, where she will admit to have a sexual attraction for his brother and occasionally crushes on girls. These therapy sessions were superbly depicted and just served to sharp our curiosity about Jackie and the emotional state in which she slumped. Another beneficial factor was the good dose of mystery associated to the family’s past. The subject matter, absence of music, and composed images created by static shots, which opposed to Jackie’s talkative way and natural thinking-out-loud narration in order to express herself, formed almost an improbable encounter between Lanthimo’s art-house and Rohmer’s fluent style. Newcomer Tallie Medel was impressive, becoming fundamental to achieve authenticity in this unexpectedly gripping character-study.