‘Tell Her Goodbye’

‘Sylvia’ tells the story of car owner, daughter and mother of two, Mandy who has apparently fallen into financial hardship meaning she must sell her beloved car. ‘Tell her goodbye’ is the last line from the Dr Hook song, ‘Sylvia’s Mother’, which was Mandy’s inspiration for the name of her car. There is a sort of satisfying irony in the fact that the song giving Sylvia her name should also be about saying goodbye to her in the end. The cyclicality suggested in this lyric of the song is mirrored in the narrative which centralises themes of moving on.

Mandy is clearly grappling with something difficult in her life and we learn early on that her struggles involve money. This gives rise to the road trip that she takes with her mother and two daughters as they travel to the buyer’s house. Mandy is clearly vulnerable, communicated eloquently by actress Jolie Lennon, and having to part with such an important source of memories is painful for her. There appears to be something else at play within Lennon’s character as viewers are led almost to focalise through her experiences. The sound editing here performs wonderfully in peeling the audience away from reality for a few brief moments, aligning us with the protagonist. This effect is created using different levels of sound and a slight distortion. Combined with the subtle nuances in Mandy’s character, this creates a level of mystery that pervades until the final third of the film.
Initially, the air of unease surrounding the somewhat mysterious road trip is eased by the presence of family. Mandy’s mother, brought to life by Gaynor Fraser, plays a familiar role; the doting grandmother. She is kind to both of the children as well as offering words of wisdom to her daughter. In a metaphorical sense, it feels like she holds the family together in the car with a warm hug.

This sense of equilibrium is furthered by the use of cinematography and mise en scene. The high key lighting and free camera movements are optimistic and consequently the journey feels positive. The wonderful birds eye shots and wide angles of Sylvia trekking through the countryside (credit to the cinematographers Rowan Biddiscombe and Tom Coe) are suddenly juxtaposed as we jump into the evening. The cinematography is now restricted to close up shots from inside and outside of the car which generates a feeling of claustrophobia and consequently a tinge of rising anxiety. A mid shot from behind the car as it travels over a one way bridge is particularly effective as the towering sides increase the claustrophobic feeling without over using close ups. Gone are the warm colours, replaced with greys; her entourage are asleep which introduces a coldness and loneliness not previously seen.

Finally, the car must be sold and in a poignant development to the narrative the audience, like Mandy, must come to terms with moving on with memories without the vessel they were once carried in.
‘Sylvia’ is a beautiful work that is well deserving of the numerous awards that it has won. Every individual element of the film shines brightly, but when woven together by director Richard Prendergast they create tender fingers that gently play upon our emotions, building to a final symphony of catharsis.

‘Sylvia’ is still in the festival run, so keep an eye out! Hopefully the full film will be released online in the future as it is certainly worth watching. Until then, take a look at the trailer…

Find out more about ‘Sylvia’ at http://sylviafilm.com/ or on Instagram @sylvia_film