Anchorage

Similarly, Loesch tries too hard to be intimidating in the final act of Anchorage – a moment when John steps past a demarcation point while refusing to acknowledge his culpability. The actor goes from unpredictable and somewhat zany to bug-eyed, cartoonish posturing. However, as aforementioned, the chemistry between the two manages to keep these shortcomings in check, even allowing the pair to deliver some truly phenomenal work.

This essential chemistry is made all the more real by Savannah Wheeler’s grimy and sluggish musical score. The ambient droning, meshed together with a thumping bass and rattling hi-hats, complements the swinging mental states of the main characters. It also suits the overall visual aesthetic and compounds every moment of tension with expert precision. This is additionally echoed in the sound design, where natural ambiance, thrumming undefinable tones, and the brothers’ breathing/panting and internal dialogue all slosh together into a potent soundscape stew. I honestly could not find any fault with how the audio is engineered or how the music is composed.

“…[Monahan and Loesch] deliver some truly phenomenal work.”

Finally, I need to discuss Perry Powell’s production design and the coloring by Kaitlyn Battistelli. While it is obvious that Anchorage was made largely on the road, shooting in the actual abandoned locations showcased, the attention paid to tactility results in one of the ugliest motion pictures I have experienced in recent years. I love it.

There is a texture to the imagery that too many films forget to add, thus neutering their evocative potential. While this drama certainly exists within its own world, where interactions with other people seem downright alien, the attention paid to the grit and grain of the locations and people makes the events jump off the screen while being grounded in our reality. I buy what happens as realistic, regardless of whether or not I have seen or experienced anything even remotely close to the same. This is all augmented by the visual palette not shying away from bolder contrasting color combinations. It reminds me of the visual approach to D. J. Caruso’s The Salton Sea, and that’s a big plus.

While the scattershot focus and pace may turn audiences away, I would recommend Anchorage to any fan of the road trip subgenre or any movie in which the American Dream is sought. There is an earnestness within how the story is told and an attention to detail that is increasingly lost in the world of high-definition digital filmmaking. The movie may have its rough edges and shortfalls, but it effectively captures the underbelly of a generation.