Look Both Ways
Look Both Ways is available to stream on Netflix at the time of writing. Rated TV-14. Common Sense says 13.
STORY: B-
After taking a pregnancy test, Natalie’s life diverges into two distinct paths. In one, she remains in her hometown and raises a child. In the other, she moves to LA to pursue her dream of becoming an animation filmmaker.
This could have been a heavy story. Like, elephants carrying around refrigerators heavy. While the topic is weighty, the storytelling isn’t. I’m not sold that this is a tale of “parallel realities”. The idea of Natalie (Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart) imagining two potential pathways for her life versus having two existences actually exist simultaneously is the difference between a fanciful summer saunter and a sparkling epic odyssey. Going with the lighter option is an intentional choice by the director Wanuri Kahiu (Rafiki), and I can’t say it’s the wrong one.
PEOPLE: B-
Lili Reinhart is like clay. That may not sound like a compliment, but it’s a biggie. Think about it like this: a piece of clay can be sculpted into a million different shapes. But no matter how you spin it, the clay is still the same clay. Its essence, its spirit, and its personality remain unchanged despite the way external forces alter its shape. Natalie’s two separate paths expose her to massive external forces. She doesn’t look the same afterwards, either. But you can tell she’s still the same person. Accomplishing that is no easy feat of acting.
Danny Ramirez (Top Gun: Maverick) also shines as Gabe. He’s sensitive, thoughtful, and absolutely terrified. Andrea Savage (Stepbrothers) and Luke WIlson (Old School) play their parental parts to lighthearted perfection. Savage’s comically hyperbolic grief at seeing her empty nest dreams destroyed is a highlight of both her performance and the film.
FILM GEEK STUFF: B-
In these types of “split stories” it’s not always easy to know where we are. It’s extra tough here since Natalie’s two paths often take place in the same places. The film’s editor (Brad Leach) uses animated title cards to help guide us. Colin Wilkes’s (Palm Springs) costume design also helps make it clear what story we’re watching (specifically the way she uses color) .
The film unfortunately doesn’t pass the 4*Town Test. Natalie’s animations are cute and oceans beyond my own ability, but it’s difficult to imagine them setting the SXSW Festival on fire. This adds evidence to my theory that the film actually takes place in her imagination. The brief clips we see may reflect her ability at the time of her dreaming (senior year of college) - not five years after graduation as her artistry has evolved and improved.
Named after the time it was done better than it has ever been done in the history of cinema, the 4*Town Test is used to determine the quality of a pretend piece of art inside a pretend piece of art. Using 4*Town’s songs in Turning Red as an example: the movie feels like it takes place in “reality”, but 4*Town’s songs don’t exist in our reality, they only exist in the reality of the pretend movie that the real us - you and me - are watching.
DONUTS: B+
I was reading a book by David Lynch shortly after watching Look Both Ways. If you only know a tiny bit about this world class filmmaker, you would know that it’s hard to come up with a movie and a director more different from each other.
But he wrote this line: “Keep your eye on the donut, not the hole.” When you gaze upon a classic donut, you see both the delicious cake and its hole at the same time. In this insightful metaphor, the donut is the thing you’re working on. If you're focusing on the donut, you’re looking at the things you can control. Looking through the hole shifts your focus to all the other stuff - the stuff that distracts you, all the things that are out of your control. He’s telling us: remember, when you’re looking at the donut, make sure you’re actually looking at the donut!
Look Both Ways follows a person bombarded by very different circumstances. Moving to LA? Raising a baby? Romances that work out? Romances that don’t? It’s a long list. What I love about this movie is that as long as Natalie is focusing on all of those things (things that are out of her control … you know, the donut hole?), she’s completely unhappy. Natalie’s life (both Natalies!) picks up once she begins working on herself. She begins focusing on the donut, and her dreams fall into place. It’s an important lesson.
FINAL COMMENTS:
This is a fun film that also contemplates the many possibilities of life - something we all should certainly do. But I think its sneaky message is that all of those possibilities aren’t nearly as important as valuing and honoring who you are. You’re the donut. And while you have to be aware of all those things you can see through the hole, it’s important not to focus on that stuff more than you, yourself.