Paint It Black (2016 film)

Last updated

Paint It Black
Directed by Amber Tamblyn
Written by
  • Amber Tamblyn
  • Ed Dougherty
Based on Paint It Black
by Janet Fitch
Produced by
  • Wren Arthur
  • Amy Hobby
  • Anne Hubbell
  • Amber Tamblyn
Starring
CinematographyBrian Rigney Hubbard
Edited byPaul Frank
Production
companies
  • Olive Productions
  • Tangerine Entertainment
Distributed byImagination Worldwide
Release dates
  • June 3, 2016 (2016-06-03)(LAFF)
  • May 19, 2017 (2017-05-19)(United States)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Paint It Black is a 2016 American film directed by Amber Tamblyn and co-written with Ed Dougherty based on Janet Fitch's 2006 novel of the same name. The film premiered at the 2016 LA Film Festival. [1] The story centers on how a young artist's suicide affects his mother and girlfriend, who blame each other for the tragedy.

Contents

Plot

After her boyfriend, Michael, ignores her for days, Josie receives a phone call from the police informing her that he committed suicide at a motel. At the funeral she is attacked by Michael's mother, Meredith, who blames Josie for his death. Michael's father, Cal, takes her out for drinks after the funeral to explain that Michael was heavily depressed and that he and Meredith had an unusually close relationship with Cal being regarded as the interloper.

Josie copes with Michael's death by going out and getting drunk every night. When that no longer works she visits Meredith's home and the two get drunk together. The following morning Meredith tracks Josie down and asks Josie to show her the place she lived with Michael. Josie reluctantly consents but refuses to let Meredith take any of Michael's possessions. The following night, returning home, she finds that Meredith has stolen nearly everything in the apartment. In retaliation Josie breaks into Meredith's home and steals back some of Michael's things.

Later she calls Meredith from a phone booth and accuses her of trying to kill her. She makes Meredith promise to return Michael's sketchbooks to her. Meredith goes to meet her with only a few of the notebooks and then asks her to move in with her temporarily, promising to give her the rest of Michael's things.

Josie agrees and goes to live with Meredith. She gets sick and Meredith nurses her back to health and dresses her in beautiful clothing and has her attend lavish dinner parties. Eventually Josie tires of this lifestyle and leaves, going to the motel where Michael committed suicide. While at the motel Josie tries to get the receptionist to talk to her about Michael, but she avoids the subject. Instead an employee secretly talks to Josie and admits she is the one who found Michael and slips Josie the key to his room.

The following morning Josie walks into the desert and rips up Michael's drawings and abandons them there. Returning to the motel she offers the sympathetic employee a ride away from the motel as the circumstances of her employment seem strange and confining. The employee declines and Josie leaves the motel, but as she is leaving she sees the employee running towards her in her rear view mirror and stops the car so she can get in.

Cast

Development

Tamblyn optioned the rights to the book in 2012 with the idea of producing the movie and starring as the lead character with Courtney Hunt directing. [2] By 2014 Tamblyn had taken on writing and directing duties herself and had cast Alia Shawkat in the lead role. Filming was completed in December 2014. [3]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes has given it a 88% rating based on reviews from 25 critics. [4]

Gary Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "An intriguing audio-visual sense, deft editing and Shawkat's committed performance elevate this strangely watchable film." [5] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone commented, "Actress Amber Tamblyn's first movie as a director dives headfirst into the hot-button subject of suicide and emerges with expressionistic power with savage grace." [6] Katie Walsh of The Playlist wrote, "Paint it Black has some real gems among the jumble, especially Shawkat, who ably shoulders the task at hand, and gives a raw and sensitive performance of a woman dealing with the loss of a lover far too young." [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alia Shawkat</span> American actress (born 1989)

Alia Martine Shawkat is an American actress. She is known for her performances as Maeby Fünke in the Fox/Netflix television sitcom Arrested Development, Dory Sief in the TBS and HBO Max dark comedy series Search Party (2016–2022), and Gertie Michaels in the 2015 horror-comedy film The Final Girls, as well as her roles in State of Grace and The Old Man. She has also guest starred as historical figures Frances Cleveland, Virginia Hall, and Alexander Hamilton on Comedy Central's Drunk History.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amber Tamblyn</span> American actress

Amber Rose Tamblyn is an American actress and author. She first came to national attention in her role on the soap opera General Hospital as Emily Quartermaine at the age of 11. She followed with a starring role on the prime-time series Joan of Arcadia, portraying the title character, Joan Girardi, for which she received Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Her feature film work includes roles such as Tibby Rollins from the first two The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and Megan McBride in 127 Hours (2010), as well as the critically acclaimed film, Stephanie Daley opposite Tilda Swinton which debuted at The Sundance Film Festival and for which Tamblyn won Best Actress at The Locarno International Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. In 2016, she made her directorial debut with the film Paint It Black starring Alia Shawkat and based on Janet Fitch's 2006 novel of the same name. In 2021 she starred opposite Diane Lane in FX's Y: The Last Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet Fitch</span> American novelist

Janet Fitch is an American author. She wrote the novel White Oleander, which became a film in 2002. She is a graduate of Reed College.

<i>Employee of the Month</i> (2004 film) 2004 film by Mitch Rouse

Employee of the Month is a 2004 American black comedy film written and directed by Mitch Rouse. The film stars Matt Dillon, Christina Applegate, and Steve Zahn.

<i>The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants</i> (film) 2005 American film directed by Ken Kwapis

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a 2005 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by Ken Kwapis from a screenplay by Delia Ephron and Elizabeth Chandler, based on the 2001 novel of the same name by Ann Brashares. It stars America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, Blake Lively, and Alexis Bledel. It follows four best friends who buy a mysterious pair of pants that fits each of them despite their differing sizes. They share the pants equally as they spend their first summer apart.

<i>The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2</i> 2008 film directed by Sanaa Hamri

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is a 2008 American comedy-drama film and a sequel to the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The original cast return to star in the film. It was directed by Sanaa Hamri and written by Elizabeth Chandler, who wrote the previous film. The film is based upon the fourth novel in the book series: Forever in Blue (2007), but incorporates scenes and storylines from The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (2003) and Girls in Pants (2004).

<i>Paint It Black</i> (novel) 2006 novel by Janet Fitch

Paint It Black is the third novel by American author Janet Fitch. Paint it Black is set in Los Angeles, California during the 1980s punk rock scene. There are references to artists and events of that era, such as the Germs and the death of John Lennon, along with insights into the art world that surrounds the protagonist, Josie.

"Paint It Black" is a 1966 song by The Rolling Stones.

<i>The Oranges</i> (film) 2011 American film

The Oranges is a 2011 American romantic comedy-drama directed by Julian Farino and starring Hugh Laurie, Leighton Meester, Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Allison Janney, Alia Shawkat, and Adam Brody. The film chronicles how two families deal with a scandal involving a married man and his friend's daughter. Set in The Oranges area of Essex County, New Jersey, The Oranges was primarily filmed in New Rochelle, New York. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2011, and was released in the United States on October 5, 2012, by ATO Pictures. The film received mostly negative reviews upon its release and criticism and attacks for its ageist themes and tropes.

<i>The To Do List</i> 2013 US romantic comedy film by Maggie Carey

The To Do List is a 2013 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Maggie Carey in her feature film directorial debut, starring an ensemble cast of Aubrey Plaza, Johnny Simmons, Bill Hader, Alia Shawkat, Sarah Steele, Scott Porter, Rachel Bilson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Andy Samberg, Donald Glover, Connie Britton, and Clark Gregg. The film centers on a recent high school graduate (Plaza) who feels she needs to have more sexual experiences before she starts college.

<i>No One Lives</i> 2012 American film

No One Lives is a 2012 American horror film directed by Ryuhei Kitamura. It stars Luke Evans and Adelaide Clemens. The film premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2012, and had a limited release on May 10, 2013.

<i>Thats What She Said</i> (film) 2012 American film

That's What She Said is a 2012 American comedy film directed by Carrie Preston, written by Kellie Overbey, and starring Marcia DeBonis, Anne Heche, Alia Shawkat, and Miriam Shor.

<i>Wild Canaries</i> 2014 American film

Wild Canaries is an American black comedy mystery film directed, produced and written by Lawrence Michael Levine and starring Levine, Sophia Takal, Alia Shawkat, Annie Parisse, Jason Ritter and Kevin Corrigan. The film had its world premiere premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival on March 8, 2014. The film was released in a limited release and through video on demand on February 25, 2015 courtesy of Sundance Selects.

<i>Green Room</i> (film) 2015 film by Jeremy Saulnier

Green Room is a 2015 American horror-thriller film written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, and produced by Neil Kopp, Victor Moyers and Anish Savjani. Starring Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, Callum Turner and Patrick Stewart, the film focuses on a punk band who find themselves attacked by neo-Nazi skinheads after witnessing a murder at a remote club in the Pacific Northwest. The film came from Saulnier's desire to direct a thriller set in a green room.

Sarah-Violet Bliss is an American screenwriter and director best known for writing and directing the independent comedy film Fort Tilden and the TBS dark comedy television series Search Party.

<i>Girlfriends Day</i> 2017 American film

Girlfriend's Day is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed by Michael Paul Stephenson and written by Bob Odenkirk, Philip Zlotorynski, and Eric Hoffman. The film stars Odenkirk and Amber Tamblyn and was released on Netflix on February 14, 2017.

<i>Search Party</i> (TV series) 2016 American dark comedy series

Search Party is an American dark comedy television series created by Sarah-Violet Bliss, Charles Rogers, and Michael Showalter. Primarily set in New York City, the series follows a group of friends who become involved in the search for a missing young woman and the events that result from their involvement.

<i>Duck Butter</i> 2018 American film

Duck Butter is a 2018 American independent film directed by Miguel Arteta, from a screenplay by Arteta and Alia Shawkat. It stars Shawkat, Laia Costa, Mae Whitman, Hong Chau and Kate Berlant.

<i>Looking Glass</i> (film) 2018 American film

Looking Glass is a 2018 American thriller film directed by Tim Hunter and starring Nicolas Cage. It was released in the United States by Momentum Pictures on February 16, 2018.

<i>Animals</i> (2019 film) 2019 film

Animals is a 2019 comedy-drama film directed by Sophie Hyde, starring Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat. It was screened in the Premieres category at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. An adaptation of Emma Jane Unsworth's 2014 novel of the same name, the film follows best friends Laura and Tyler whose lifestyle comes under scrutiny just as Laura becomes engaged to a teetotaller.

References

  1. ↑ McNary, Dave (April 26, 2016). "LA Film Festival Unveils 42 World Premieres". Variety. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  2. ↑ Fitch, Janet (April 27, 2016). "Paint It Black– THE MOVIE PREMIERE". Janet Fitch's Blog. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  3. ↑ Saperstein, Pat (December 19, 2014). "Amber Tamblyn Wraps Directing Debut With Punk Rock Tale 'Paint It Black'". Variety. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Paint It Black". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  5. ↑ Goldstein, Gary (May 18, 2017). "Review: Amber Tamblyn wants to 'Paint It Black' in stylish directorial debut". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  6. ↑ Travers, Peter (May 18, 2017). "'Paint It Black': Suicide Sparks Conflict in Savagely Moving Debut". Rolling Stone . Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  7. ↑ Walsh, Katie (June 9, 2016). "Alia Shawkat Gives An Outstanding Performance In Amber Tamblyn's Directorial Debut 'Paint It Black' [LAFF Review]". theplaylist.net. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.