One & Two

This truly has become the year of the indie movie. So many interesting concepts have come from the independent world that have been executed so well, it's surprising that critics and fans aren't taking as much notice.

Take the debut film from Andrew Droz Palermo, "One & Two," for example. While the film leaves many questions unanswered (the title alone is a head scratcher), the core emotion of the film is what takes it to a different level. And if it isn't one of the most beautifully made and scored movies of the year, I don't know what else would be.

"One & Two" feels very much like a Young Adult book written in the '90s. With its cryptic title, sibling protagonists, and the secret ability they share, it recalls books that English teachers like to make their classes read; the ones the students actually get into. While it is an original idea by Palermo and co-writer Neima Shadadi, it still feels like a modern classic brought to the big screen.

Eva (Kiernan Shipka "Mad Men") and Timothee Chalamet ("Homeland") are a brother and sister living on a sort of Amish-style ranch closed off from the rest of the world by a giant hand-made wall. Father Daniel (Grant Bowler "Ugly Betty") and mother Elizabeth (Elizabeth Reaser "The Good Wife") tend to their daily duties while putting the children to constant work. The family seems relatively sullen, with nothing in their lives that offer any joy or purpose. By all appearances you'd think they lived in the 1800s if it weren't for some modern clothing touches and the fact that the kids watch a plane quietly sail through the night sky. They do this after sneaking out of the house. How do they do this? They teleport.

You see, both kids have the ability to instantly vanish and appear a few yards away. For them, it's a gift of freedom and play. But to their domineering father, their abilities are potentially the work of the devil. Mom is neutral on the subject, playing more submissive to Daniel. She also has the problem of having "fits" or seizures that stop her breathing and make her go rigid without warning.

Truth be told, it's difficult to really discuss the plot of the film. The pace is slower and the story itself doesn't exactly conform to a three-act structure like mainstream films. The style recalls director Terence Malick's work. The cinematography is gorgeous, and from time to time various characters narrate their innermost thoughts in the same way Malick uses the device. But that's what makes the film stand out. This isn't a big-budget Hollywood adaptation. This is a thoughtful, quiet, and beautiful meditation on how we treat and attempt to protect our children.

It is also a comment on free-will and choice. It has a style reminiscent of films like "Tree of Life" and "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," but at the same time it's a bit more accessible. The film is never dull despite its pace. The only drawback is wanting to know more. We don't get a lot of history about how they discovered their powers, why they are closed off from society (we get a bit from the mom), and why they don't just take the mom to a hospital. But in that, this is a film that makes the audiences think. They wonder about this family and put themselves in the shoes of the kids. It becomes a more contemplative film. The emotion of the characters comes through the powerful performances by all involved, especially Shipka and Chalamet. Their relationship is the backbone of the film and what makes us want to take the journey with them.

As for Palermo, this is a stunning calling card for him. Despite the story issues (which, to be fair, seem purposeful rather than flaws), he has made a gorgeous film that should catapult his career immediately. You can't walk out of this and just feel "meh." You can wish you knew more (maybe that's a good thing?), but you can't deny how beautifully it all comes together in the end.