‘Midwinter’ (2024)

Ambitious music writer Lena (Charlie Traisman) takes on a job interviewing indie musician Mia (Julia D'Angelo). With Mia developing new music, the two spend a weekend together in a remote lodge getting to know each other. Past relationships and current family drama surface as the two women open up to each other.

Non-linear, the film opens with Mia performing live, looked at by Lena from the crowd. The narrative turns to Lena’s family as she visits with her sister Nadine (Marlowe Holden). Formally asking Lena to be her son Goldie’s (Charlie Traisman) godmother, Nadine also confesses that her MS has relapsed. Ascertaining the severity of the situation, Lena appreciates the responsibility that caring for her nephew would entail.

Concurrently, the relationship between Nadine and her husband is explored as Jack (Chadwick Sutton) has opted to open their marriage and is seeing a colleague – Maeve (Josephine Chiang), who also happens to be Lena’s ex-girlfriend.

Greatly intersecting but not overstuffed, ‘Midwinter’ may seem convoluted on paper, particularly because of the, at times, non-linear delivery. The film succeeds and proves to be a hugely enjoyable viewing experience specifically because of how the story unfolds.

Following Lena as a through-line, the woman visits a show, goes to her sister and eventually interviews Mia. Interspersed throughout are scenes diverging from the main story line that work to supplement and add to the core of the narrative.

Allowing for the characters to reveal themselves slowly, the unhurried pace works in favor of delivering a more complete and comprehensive image of each one of the players. Leading at the helm is Traisman’s Lena. Quiet and with profound emotional depth, the woman approaches Mia with cautious curiosity and allows for the musician to open up to her.

Getting to know one another, Traisman and D'Angelo explore each others feelings on relationships, their past endeavors and their current hang-ups. Evolving naturally, the two riff off of each other and deliver what feels like an entirely improvisational back and forth, adding to an already amicable and enjoyable heart-to-heart between the two.

With Lena and Mia deciding to do mushrooms over the weekend, the two journey together to an entirely uninhibited plain where they feel free to fully engage and explore each others personalities. Resulting in an impromptu wedding ceremony between the two in the woods, they confide in each other and enjoy a fairy-tale scenario, void of outside influences and worries.

Soon enough however, the psychedelics wear off and both are confronted with past wounds that influence them to grow distant from each other. Highlighting beautifully the weight past relationships have on our future, ‘Midwinter’ scores high points in terms of pointing out the obvious, but not often talked about pain.

With Traisman and D'Angelo working wonderfully off of each other, the pair conjure a true sense of togetherness and a genuine contentment between their two characters, establishing an exciting start to what could amount to a beautiful and lifelong relationship.

Exploring her own woes Holden’s Nadine delivers a character that could be pitiable in a multitude of ways, but instead manages to soldier on, deal with her husband’s choices as best she can and ultimately make unexpected choices for herself. Disallowing the MS diagnosis to keep her down, Holden showcases someone who has accepted their fate but refuses for that to be their ultimate defining trait.

Not looking for any villains, the film glides along as it jumps from one emotional revelation to another, paying specific attention to the wholly unforced and natural poise that each character carries in the film. Akin to a babbling brook, the intertwined romances ebb and flow easily, with each truth revealed serving as a welcome surprise, keeping pace and constantly delivering more to hang on to.

Honest, innocent and spontaneous the romances develop, experience pitfalls and reemerge stronger than before all while not disillusioning itself and the viewing audience about how neatly all interpersonal issues can or need to be tied up at the end of a feature. Mostly interested in and concerning itself with the minutia of romantic relationships and how complicated things may become, ‘Midwinter’ serves as an outstanding perspective on the ever-shifting demands, wants and needs of a romantic partnership.

Score: 4/4