Set in 90’s Portland, teenager Tristan (Jacob Moran) and his prostitute mother Elaine (Laura Whiteley) live as normally as drug addiction allows. They have a system. Elaine brings home customers, and Tristan sits outside with a brick in case of emergency – though it’s doubtful his reluctant nature would be able to fulfill his job. Things go awry when Tristan brings up his lack of care in the form of his disintegrating shoes, leading Elaine to reach new levels of personal despondency at the expense of both Tristan and herself.
The cinematography by Luc Ung is deliciously moody and raw, playing hand in hand with the darkness of the subject matter seamlessly. This is sometimes in juxtaposition to the dialogue, which has a tendency to feel on the nose. This does have the effect of pulling viewers out of the dark, smokey world directors Thommy Kane and Bojan Vanovac place us in.
The film is, to say the least, graphic. Specifically, the opening scenes utilize extreme visuals to establish the tone. This immediately feels unearned, but is slowly justified throughout the course of the film.
The standout performance comes from Moran – who dances the edge between devoted, endearing, terrified, and numb son all at once. Moran embodies the complicated mother-son relationship immediately, demanding the audience’s attention and sympathy at every move. Whiteley plays struggling mother Elaine well, but feels a tad too young to fully convey the part of aged, world-beaten mother to a teenager. There does seem to be a certain edge missing in the script – it feels that drug use was touched upon but never fully dissected. The film teetered on the cliff of exploring Elaine’s substance issues, but never fully dove in. Whether that dive would have been worth it could be debated, but the result leaves a bit of a vacancy.
Hauntingly dark and impressively eerie, New Shoes will immerse audiences in a harsh reality – if the viewer is ready to take the plunge.
