Film review - 1

English

Aarthi Padmanabhan

Film: White Oleander

Director: Peter Kosminsky

Adapted from Janet Finch’s novel “White Oleander”, the film is acceptable in its own way and plot. A teenager (Astrid), struggling to relate and fit into different foster families after her mother (Ingrid) ends up in jail, convicted for murdering her boyfriend, goes through emotional nuances of finding herself astray in her every search for love. The relationship between the duo is a keen, poignant yet a love everlasting tale, with every time Astrid trying to move on with her life, her mother’s wrath haunts her which Ingrid regards as her shield of motherly protection. Astrid’s journey from a callow young girl to a maculate teenager revolves around Ingrid’s choice of action without thinking of the consequences and the trouble she’ll be putting Astrid into. This makes their relationship feeble and loveless through the end of the film. Every time Astrid visits her mother at the State Prison, Ingrid always talks about Astrid’s current Foster family’s dereliction towards her and how she was being used in every possible situation. Astrid starts distancing her mother. Their interaction is more self-centered and one sided.

A narcissist, Ingrid, living by her own ideals with no remorse for her crime of passion is a true example of women empowerment, breaking from the shackles of bondage, and standing up for her own causes. Being a young mother, Ingrid lacks maturity as to when to have a baby, and how to raise a child. This creates a distinct friendship between the mother and the daughter and Ingrid raises her up just like the way she wanted her to be. They both love each other unconditionally and feel secure in each others’ company. But when it comes to their own individual sake, they regard each of them not empathizing their values and end up breaking away their falling-apart relationship.

The similarities between Astrid and Ingrid is what makes them tough, decisive, to move on with their life despite the situation. This quality of her mother, which Astrid carries with her, makes her invulnerable to infringement and meticulously takes her step without her mother’s realization. The difference is who made the right choice at the end. Ingrid, realizing how much she had put her daughter into trials and tribulations, doesn’t allow Astrid to testify for her. Astrid substantiating her mother’s feelings for her for the first time regrets her contumely actions which made her mother give away what she wanted.

The circumstances surrounding Astrid is a bit of an over exaggerated cliché, where she’s been thrown out of every foster home or forced to leave thus stereotyping the plot. The film cannot be justified easily, when a crime of passion can be considered as manslaughter but still a punishable offence. But the mother-daughter duo keeps the movie running without making the viewer’s fall back to the original idea of trite.

Astrid finds her first foster mother Starr Thomas, an ex stripper to be odd, quirky and fun and she starts to feel at home. They both come together as teens, enjoying their girls-day-out. But the circumstantial situations tarnish both of their lives, when Astrid feels she has a thing for Starr’s boyfriend. Starr, recovering from drug addiction takes the immense step of getting away with Astrid forever. Astrid is further driven into mental trauma and ends up in the foster care in the State Prison, where she finds Paul and falls in love with him. Later she’s being adopted by an actress Claire Richards who welcomes Astrid into her all alone life. Astrid finds this relationship to be eternal and tries to learn to be like her. But when Ingrid meet’s Astrid’s foster mother, and talks to her about her loveless marriage, Astrid feels hurt and starts to hate her mother for ruining her life. Finally Claire commits suicide after her husband ends their marriage leaving Astrid alone. In all of the relationship Astrid gets into, she finds everyone thinking about for their own cause rather than pitying her for her condition. Later she chooses to live with Rena who treats her foster children as cheap laborers.

The motif of the story can either be “Girls growing up hard” or the metaphor “White Oleander”. A beautiful white flower yet a poisonous one is what White Oleander is all about, truly reflecting Ingrid’s nature. Her beauty mixed with an evil heart is chillingly haunting and sets an adequate tone for this movie. An irresistible seductress and a diabolic, killing for righteousness justify her actions by saying “Men are just no damn good. Trust them, and they’ll have an affair behind your back. Kill them and they’ll get you in prison”. Barry’s murder can never be justified according to the law, but to a narcissist, he’s neither good dead or alive.

Ingrid never murdered Barry by plotting up a plan or implied intent to injure. It was a jealous rage, a spur of the moment action which ended her up in jail. But nevertheless she regretted committing the crime and she though he deserved what he got. Astrid, who in her artistic way, tries to "blend in" with the colors of the new worlds she's exposed to and, like a flower, blossoms throughout the movie until the end.