At the heart of what was appealing about choosing HIDE AWAY as the first project for Joule Films was the script’s action conveyed a specific experience and event, but highlighted human frailty in an sparse but powerful, detail rich, romantic setting.
Large portions of the movie are wordless, and there are many exposition shots of reactions, paired with scenes with sparse lines of dialogue. Emotion, and information are communicated through the actor’s actions and reactions, supported by images, sound and score. All of these themes are a throwback to form and function of classic cinema. Supported by the beauty of the location, water and nature, juxtaposed with the scale of struggle of the central character, the strength of the movie is also reliant upon a certain mood and tone. Like a snow-globe that you pick up and gaze into, seeing whatever and wherever your thoughts and own experiences might take you; the fades to black are meant to represent a passage of time whereas you may of set the snow-globe down and picked it back up to gaze into again.
The purpose of the shots of nature is to remind us that life goes on, and will continue to move forward, with or without us. This reminds of us not only of the frailty of our lives, but also speaks to our connectiveness to the elements and to our past and futures, too.
The way the story is told and its editorial style convey a vast perspective and a scale of reliance on Josh Lucas’ performance. Telling the story via images and reaction shots placed the emphasis on performance that he courageously relished, and the result of his passion and depth as an actor results in the kind of work that you see him deliver on the screen.
It is our hope the movie will strike a cord with audiences who may not necessarily relate to the specific events depicted, but to the mood and to the characters romantic notions of starting over and recreating your life. It is a place we can all relate, given the times in which we live.
It was a surprise the film running time landed at 86 minutes. It is remarkable so much is experienced and felt as you watch this film. The end of the movie, and the unexpectedness of the central character to leave the harbor having never sailed the boat he so lovingly restored, is composed of a beautiful shot of the Hesperus leaving the harbor at full sail. It returns to where it belongs. On the open seas.
The final frames of the film are of Josh leaving through the gate, his future somehow wide open.
