Ryan Parker is the Roger Deakins of Memphis, and his lovely and haunting images are what should carry us through Only Child. They do to a degree, but the movie, written and directed by Brian Pera, also favors heightened drama expressed through dialogue that, for me, comes off as a bit ridiculous and overcooked. David Lynch regular Grace Zabriskie shows up in a very Lynchian role, complete with weird ticks and bizarre outbursts, playing less a character than the embodiment of one. She's Delores, eccentric mother searching for her daughter, Lana (Lindsey Roberts, excellent). Lana is lost not just from her mother but from herself, exiting her job as a hotel housekeeper under mysterious circumstances to go live with bored housewife, Loretta (Amy Lavere).
Loretta's relationship with Lana is a strange one. She treats and dresses her like a child (or a doll), never allowing Lana a chance to speak for herself, which might be why she doesn't speak at all. The movie flirts with ideas about gender roles and obsession, mostly conveyed through the strange relationship between Loretta and her husband, and by her collection of perfumes that are kept closed away like a dirty secret. Everyone has secrets in Only Child, the deepest belonging to Lana, who gives us hints that are effectively conveyed through the visual fabric that Pera and Parker bring to life. The movie screeches to a halt every time there is a conversation. This applies mostly to the scenes set at the hotel where Lana worked and the confrontations Delores has with the staff where she is staying. I mentioned Lynch earlier, and these scenes feel very much like they want to exist in the same nightmarish universe. These characters, however, lack a similar sense of purpose and frankly, they're just not as interesting or compelling.
Only Child has an appealing artistic quality to it. I am not familiar with Pera's background, but from watching this movie, it feels like he has worked in experimental theater. I like the idea of marrying that with film, and Pera certainly has the ingenuity to pull it off. If Only Child had been a silent movie, it would have been incredible. This is not an insult; if nothing else, it only further proves what a brilliant visual story teller Pera has the potential to be. He and Parker have created a chilling and vulnerable atmosphere. Now let's see it applied to a narrative with characters who compliment instead of distract from the richly beautiful world they inhabit.
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