THE INNER GLOW

In dire circumstances, drastic methods are required. And it appears that grim times necessitate bleak urban dramas. Not that "The Inner Glow," a Venezuelan film, is deserving of such a label. But there's no denying that the bleak mood that pervades Andrés Eduardo and Luis Alejandro Rodrguez's latest film is on purpose — even if the title tries to pull us out of it. "The Inner Glow," Venezuela's Oscar submission and winner of 11 awards at the Festival de Cine Venezolano, depicts the story of Silvia (Jericó Montilla), a young mother facing her own imminent mortality who is trying to figure out what she'll do with her six-year-old daughter once she's gone.

Silvia's story, as tiny and intimate as it may appear, is emblematic of a country in turmoil. When a lady like Silvia learns of a terminal illness like the one she's about to face, the obvious places she'd go are all dead ends. Her child's father is incarcerated. Her estranged mother and father are both incapable (or simply unable) to care for a child in their separate ways; she's lost herself in her religious commitment, while he's lived alone for a long time, in a cave no less. Due to supply chain concerns, the pharmacy where Silvia gets her medication is unable to complete her prescriptions. Even the improvised daycare where she's used to leave Sara (a radiant Sol Vázquez) throughout the day refuses to do so unless she pays off her debts (two months and counting).

The precariousness of Silvia's situation is "The Inner Glow's" driving motor. Throughout the video, the Rodrguez brothers keep a careful eye on Montilla, filming every agonizing motion she makes. This is a mother who has been estranged from her family, who struggles to make ends meet with her service work, and who looks at her daughter with resentment rather than compassion. You can see Silvia letting go of Sara's hand as they walk down the street together, as if the very touch of her daughter is repulsive — a reminder not just of how inadequate she feels as a mother but, perhaps, even a spark of recognition that she could just leave her behind and find peace there.

The script, co-written by the Rodriguez brothers and Julián Balam, is light on details. We learn very little about Silvia's fatal condition and even little about the cleaning company where she works (or of the boss she interacts with briefly and who may well offer Silvia a way out of her predicament). Her sallow complexion and the squalor in which she lives are enough to convey her awful situation; she spends much of the film at a loss for words, anxiously attempting to find a solution to a problem that feels unfathomably enormous.

The score of Andres Levell is left to handle a lot of the heavy lifting. It twinkles at moments, mirroring Sara's guileless purity. It trills and captures the dizzying way Silvia views the hostile world around her at other times. DP Alexander Barroeta weaves in and out of gritty naturalism, capturing the cacophonous metropolitan sprawl that pulsates around Silvia, hinting at Silvia's more detached state. Dreamlike visuals fade in and out of focus, leaving us wondering how much of what she's experiencing is real. She may be physically present, but as the film progresses toward its shocking conclusion, it becomes increasingly detached from reality, taking on the tone of the fairy stories Sara and Silvia tell each other in their shared bed when everything around them seems especially dreary.

This at times brutally claustrophobic film, in the hands of the Rodriguez siblings, is continually driving us into the specific in order to get at something greater, something more universal. There are times when it feels as though Silvia's illness is really an internal symptom of a broader, social ailment, and her need to let go is less a choice and more an unavoidable conclusion. "The Inner Glow" may reference well-worn themes and tropes, but as a minimalist portrayal of a failed system and a disinterested social fabric, it's a stunning (if depressing) snapshot of modern-day Venezuela.