One of the more compelling elements of the crime film occurs when a seemingly normal person gets roped into a series of illicit acts or illegal deeds, usually out of their own desperation, and are then forced to climb out of the hole they’ve dug for themselves as matters get progressively worse, which typically ends in disaster for all parties involved. It’s a well that even the Coen Brothers have returned to time and time again, finding fruitful tales of corrupted innocence in films like Blood Simple, Fargo, and No Country for Old Men. It’s also a jumping-off point for Sew Torn, the feature-length debut from director Freddy Macdonald, who adapts his own 2019 short film alongside co-writer Fred Macdonald, spinning an elaborate yarn of deception and murder. Except here, Macdonald has also made the canny decision to replicate the structure of Tom Tykwer’s 1998 megahit Run Lola Run, examining multiple realities that spin-off from the protagonist’s different choices. While this will inevitably annoy viewers beholden to logic above all else, Sew Torn is ultimately a success, pulling off a difficult tonal balancing act and serving as a nifty calling card for Macdonald.
Hard times have fallen on Barbara (Eve Connolly), a mild-mannered seamstress and the sole proprietor of Duggen’s, a fabric shop she inherited from her deceased mother that is situated in a quiet mountain town. What was once a celebrated business — their hottest commodity was the “talking portrait,” a tenderly reconstructed stitching of a photograph with a built-in sound box to share messages from loved ones — is now going under, with Barbara behind on payments. Her only client is bride-to-be Grace (Caroline Goodall), a deeply entitled and unpleasant woman. When an important button from Grace’s dress goes missing, Barbara heads back to Duggen’s for a replacement. En route, the mobile seamstress happens upon the violent remnants of a motor vehicle wreck, discovering a briefcase of cash, a spilled package of drugs, and two heavily injured motorcyclists fighting for control of a pistol. At a literal crossroads, Barbara evaluates her options: does she take the money for herself, does she phone the police, or does she drive off without getting involved?
“Choices, choices, choices,” Barbara intones in her opening voiceover, asserting that life is the sum of every decision we make. For her first of three Lola-esque go’s, Barbara opts to take the money for herself, but first she must deal with the two very much still-living motorists. It’s here that Macdonald reveals Barbara’s superpower: armed with her trustworthy sewing box, she becomes a bona fide MacGyver with any needle and thread in hand, capable of constructing very dainty but very intricate guidelines and pulley systems cleverly utilized for her own gain, demonstrating as much by attaching a pair of colored threads to two handguns and leading them back to her car, driving in such a way that the guns will be dragged into the hands of both men and having them unwittingly shoot each other, effectively eliminating any witnesses. Barbara’s thread-crafting skills are the definite highlight of Sew Torn, with Macdonald reveling in her ability to get out of any jam as a result of her trade. Of course, this can only get her so far, as each version of the story finds trouble for Barbara no matter how cunning she may be. For her second go, Barbara phones the police, introducing Ms. Engel (K Callan) to the proceedings, who senses something rotten in the state of Denmark given Barbara’s proximity to the crash site. And the third section slows things down further to deepen character motivations, soon unleashing yet another player in this twisted tale in the form of Hudson (a commanding John Lynch), a vicious gangster and father to one of the downed motorists. Needless to say, nothing will end well no matter which path Barbara takes.
Still, it’s inevitable that not all will find this high-concept agreeable. Macdonald does get a little too cutesy with Barbara’s seamstress skills, stretching credibility as we witness her craft makeshift blow darts that somehow have the strength to stick into a leather belt when launched across a room. He also makes a grievous error in revealing the outcome of each “decision” in the opening moments of the film, upsetting the process and nullifying much of the suspense when it’s evident each discrete section will not end well. But Sew Torn is ultimately more about the journey than it is the destination, and viewers who can get on its inventive wavelength will be delivered a certifiably good time.
Published as part of Locarno Film Festival 2024 — Dispatch 3.
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