I WANT FOR NOTHING is a tale of magical-realism, taking place in a small town somewhere in modern day England. At heart it is a classic story of people wishing to obtain something, only to obtain that said something and proceed to ruin it, either by jealousy or self-sabotage. Daisy wishes she could overcome her crippling shyness and make friends, more than anything in the world. But when she actually does, not only does she have to learn what is like to actually interact with another person, but also begins to experience the complicated emotions that come along with friendship. When Daisy meets Jill, she's about to bail on her just like she always does whenever she encounters people. In her mind, she sees herself interacting with others, but in reality her body reacts in almost physically painful ways that keep her from ever being able to make the first step and actually even opening her mouth. When Jill solves Daisy's dilemma by providing her with a novel way to amplify her voice, Jill doesn't use her newfound voice to say anything nice, but rather indulges into a barrage of profanities that are both liberating and strangely also meant to keep Jill away. However, Jill finds Daisy's Tourette-like rants refreshing and they become fast friends. Daisy's wish has been fulfilled, she finally has a friend and one she can be herself with, as for Jill's wish, she's about to have it granted when later on, as they fool around, they're surprised to discover a strange and mysterious power - allowing them to taste other people's food without ever having to eat it. They set out around town, approaching people in order to try and sneakily taste their food. And here comes the part when the irony of having our wishes granted comes; Despite being friends with Jill, Daisy remains painfully shy and she can't quite get as close to people's food as she wishes to, however, Jill has no such problem and manages to get closer to people and fool them with her verbal dexterity. This causes a rift between both friends, for Daisy now experiments something that sometimes can come with friendship: Jealousy. Daisy becomes jealous with Jill's ability to speak to anybody, and so, she decides to get back at her friend where she knows it hurts: her bulimia. Daisy convinces Jill to taste people's food without ever taking a bite, and this begins to take a serious toll on her health. One woman gets to have finally have a friend, and her jealousy causes her to drive her away from her, while the other one wishes she could eat without getting fat, and gets more than she bargained for, to the point of endangering her life. Finding ourselves in a constant state of struggle, trying to obtain the things we wish for can bring purpose to our lives, but once we get what we wanted, our self-sabotaging nature causes us to destroy the dreams we craved so much. Such is the tragedy of western civilization, a way of life that gives us everything and yet keeps us unsatisfied at all times.
Directed by Keir Black, I WANT FOR NOTHING is a bizarre fantasy that is reminiscent of Jean Pierre-Jeunet films. Being sweet and crass, tender and revolting at the same time with a mischievous and fun glint in its eye. Black manages to tell his story on an almost purely visual level, only resorting to incidental dialogue here and there, but this is an expertly told story that employs images and editing to convey emotions and communicate its intentions without lengthy dialogue nor exposition. It is an example of "show don't tell" narrative. We imagine his film process must have been to story-board and plan every shot, for it all assembles logically, which is no small feat when talking about a narrative that is not exactly bound by logic. It may read contradictory, but this is a film about irony, after all. Keir doesn't explain why his characters are the way they are, he simply shows us what they do and what their respective wishes and fantasies are and then proceeds to put them to the test once they get what they wanted, almost as if experimenting with them. The film itself is fun, it's a curious and bizarre story that depends mostly of its vibrant score, filled with over-saturated colors and highly expressive leads in the form of Louise Mardenborough as Daisy and Catherine Manford as Jill. Mardenborough, plays Daisy almost mute, so her big expressive green eyes have to do much of the heavy lifting. Manford's manic and bubbling personality make for the perfect foil for Daisy. These two awkward yet magical women make no sense when separate, but together they are a perfect match (their friendship points at even deeper feelings) however, they are not immune to the darker side of the human heart; Daisy never knew she had it in her to feel Jealousy or envy because she had never had a friend nor interacted with people, although the hints where there all along every time she saw people mingling at the distance, secretly wanting what they had. Daisy saves Jill life in a scatological act of self-sacrifice, literally giving herself to Jill in order to save her. A selfless act indeed. This is an imaginative and original story, unpredictable and vibrant.
Directed by Keir Black, I WANT FOR NOTHING is a bizarre fantasy that is reminiscent of Jean Pierre-Jeunet films. Being sweet and crass, tender and revolting at the same time with a mischievous and fun glint in its eye. Black manages to tell his story on an almost purely visual level, only resorting to incidental dialogue here and there, but this is an expertly told story that employs images and editing to convey emotions and communicate its intentions without lengthy dialogue nor exposition. It is an example of "show don't tell" narrative. We imagine his film process must have been to story-board and plan every shot, for it all assembles logically, which is no small feat when talking about a narrative that is not exactly bound by logic. It may read contradictory, but this is a film about irony, after all. Keir doesn't explain why his characters are the way they are, he simply shows us what they do and what their respective wishes and fantasies are and then proceeds to put them to the test once they get what they wanted, almost as if experimenting with them. The film itself is fun, it's a curious and bizarre story that depends mostly of its vibrant score, filled with over-saturated colors and highly expressive leads in the form of Louise Mardenborough as Daisy and Catherine Manford as Jill. Mardenborough, plays Daisy almost mute, so her big expressive green eyes have to do much of the heavy lifting. Manford's manic and bubbling personality make for the perfect foil for Daisy. These two awkward yet magical women make no sense when separate, but together they are a perfect match (their friendship points at even deeper feelings) however, they are not immune to the darker side of the human heart; Daisy never knew she had it in her to feel Jealousy or envy because she had never had a friend nor interacted with people, although the hints where there all along every time she saw people mingling at the distance, secretly wanting what they had. Daisy saves Jill life in a scatological act of self-sacrifice, literally giving herself to Jill in order to save her. A selfless act indeed. This is an imaginative and original story, unpredictable and vibrant.