by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
One of my favorite lines from Community is when Joel McHale’s Jeff proclaimed that, “most lies happen six inches from the bathroom mirror.” Carolina Caroline finds its leads in that specific situation within the first 15 minutes of the movie. Following Caroline (Samara Weaving) as she falls in with conman Oliver (Kyle Gallner), the two go on a spree robbing and scamming their way across the American South. As their criminal talents improve, they start falling for each other, thereby opening up about what happened in their lives that brought them to this moment. And now those personal histories and the law just might catch up to them.
Both of our thieving leads come from a tough background. They are empathetic figures, but life has obviously hardened them. Weaving and Gallner do a good job keeping those emotions right beneath the surface. The traumas and scars are what motivate them to continue their exploits. These characters are easily understood. Credit goes to writer William Thomas Dean IV for this, and credit to Weaving and Gallner for delivering believable performances to bring Caroline and Oliver to life.
Initially I left the movie not all that impressed with the story though. It’s a serviceable script but if you read the summary, you can guess where it ends. That lack of a unique story left me a smidge disappointed. But further reflection helped me see what this movie was trying to say. If you remember my opening paragraph, there is an early scene with a lie. During their first formal meeting, Oliver tells Caroline that he knows stealing is wrong. Justifying that he only steals from fat cats and banks, Oliver believes that he is not hurting anyone. So, when he and Caroline go around the country robbing people blind, leaving victims in their wake, they do not see how they are the cause of suffering. And there will always be blowback to your actions.
But Carolina Caroline holds the mirror up even closer for the audience. After some success on their robbery circuit, Caroline decides she wants to visit her mother, who left when Caroline was still a baby. Upon finding her mom at a small-town dive, Caroline is ultimately disappointed in her discovery. I do not want to spoil their reunion, but it really nails the theme of your actions could hurt people regardless of whether you intended them to or not. And sometimes the apple does not fall far from the tree.
Director Adam Carter Rehmeier does an excellent job setting up the robbery scenes. He presses the camera into the faces of the onlookers and bank workers, showing just how terrified they are. Confrontations with law enforcement are tense as well.
On the surface Carolina Caroline may read like a pseudo-Bonnie and Clyde story but there is a little more to it than one might expect. I do not know if it warrants a second viewing, but the themes stick with you and only become clearer with time. Give it a shot if it is in a theater near you as it was a small release and its message is worth about 100 minutes of your time.
Rating: High Side of Liked It
Carolina Caroline is currently available to watch in theaters.
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