JESPER JUST: A VICIOUS UNDERTOW

Shot in black and white Super 16mm film and then transferred to video, the slick contrast, staged lighting and elegant camera movements in A Vicious Undertow are so aesthetically precise that film appears almost artificial.  Just’s protagonist, an older woman, plays out an enigmatic narrative alongside the film’s two other characters, a timeless looking young man and woman, in a dramatic lounge constructed of lush wood-paneling.  Whether these characters exist in real time or in a remote space within the older woman’s memory, the charged exchange between the two lovers lingers just out of reach.  Youth, beauty and sexuality permeate the film’s rich texture, while tones of melancholy and naiveté obscure the characters, their relationships, and ultimately the film itself, with swaying currents of unrequited moments.