I'll watch just about anything: highly acclaimed award-winners and tacky creature features or Lifetime originals alike. Sometimes that works in my favor, and sometimes it doesn't. I decided to watch 'Only mine' simply because I enjoyed star Amber Midthunder's performance in 'The ice road' and wanted to see more of her work.
Was this worth it? That depends on how open-minded you are to a wide variety of storytelling styles.
Director Michael Civille has few credits to his name, and writer Matt Young fewer still. This is no particular indicator of quality, as many outstanding features have been made by first-time film-makers. Camerawork, lighting, set decoration, music, the production generally - nothing is all that remarkable here, but that's fine; plenty of captivating movies have done more with less.
That leaves us to assess the acting, the screenplay, and the narrative.
When a film falls below our expectations or standards, the actors - being most visible - are the first targets of our criticism. But I don't necessarily think that's fair. Maybe a performer is genuinely incapable, but it's just as if not more likely that they're simply following the cues they are given in the screenplay, or from their director. The best actors in the world can still only work with the material they're given. I think the performances in 'Only mine' are fine - just not especially remarkable, not even that of Brett Zimmerman, exuding every ounce of sleaze and psychopathy that he can as antagonist David. Of course, I sat to watch this based on Midthunder's involvement. I do like her performance here, but what I especially see is potential that Civille's direction didn't fully allow to flourish, and which was limited by Young's writing. I mean to keep an eye on Midthunder still, with hopes of in the future seeing more of what she's capable of.
The screenplay is direct and forthright, with little nuance to speak of, and little room for the cast to exercise their craft. The flow of the narrative bounces between interviews with characters after the fact and a plainspoken portrayal of the course of events. Consider these aspects together with the mildly fantastical, somewhat overcooked accentuation of vengeful empowerment, and the result is a picture that bears no small resemblance to a Lifetime original movie. That aligns neatly with Young's most notable prior writing credit for - yes, a Lifetime original movie. In fairness, however, I earnestly think 'Only mine' is a slight cut above the average TV movie; take that as you will.
At length, that brings us to the narrative, which dovetails handily into the film's style. The premise, while accurate, is also misleading, because for 77 of the 84 minutes of story, what 'Only mine' is, in actuality, is a portrait of domestic violence and partner abuse. It's all here: toxic masculinity; a sense of entitlement; stalking; masterful manipulation of the victim especially, but also everyone around her; the ease as a third party of seeing how despicable the abuser is, and a misguided sense that "the victim must be so stupid to have not seen it." But that's exactly how these scenarios evolve in real life; for naivete, or for unwillingness to believe it whether conscious or subconscious, a person becomes incapable of seeing what is right before them.
The ultimate act of revenge promised by the most basic premise is gratifying, with violence exceeding our expectations for any feature of a similar bent. On the other hand, the short denouement is perhaps a bit too forward, meeting those expectations precisely. When all is said and done, there are no surprises here. We get exactly what is promised: no more, no less.
Is 'Only mine' an outright bad movie? No, I don't think so. I see the possibilities of what it could have been, both in the narrative content and in the cast assembled. I think what it comes down to is that Civille and Young just weren't quite up to the task. Maybe that's unfair, but that also doesn't mean they can't surprise us in the future with unanticipated delights.
It's striking for the stark, harrowing portrayal of the victim and her abuser; regrettable, for the potential that wasn't unlocked; and a tad tedious, for the notable similarity to a niche genre of TV movie. I judge this to be of fair quality - a passable way to spend time, so long as you're not especially picky about what you watch. Opinions will vary; this is only mine.
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