The Striking 'Gemini' is at once Invigorating and Infuriating
As generational gaps continue to widen between the so-called ‘millennial’ demographic and the Baby Boomer/Generation X population, media has begun to hone in on this divide. A new wave of film has arrived at the scene, largely found in smaller festival circuits, and has started to subvert traditional cinematic narratives. Some in this wave are immensely successful, breaking new ground with their fresh and captivating voices. The recent release Thoroughbreds (2018) is a prime example of this, with a fiery and glaringly original style and distinctly youthful feel. This new wave does not always yield the most desirable projects however, as many fall victim to their own attempt at uniqueness. Regrettably, director Aaron Katz’s latest film Gemini, though one of the most stylistically intriguing works in recent memory, falls into such a category.
Lola Kirke and Zoë Kravitz star as two close friends, one a rising Hollywood actress by the name of Heather Anderson (Kravitz), the other her faithful assistant, Jill LeBeau (Kirke). When an unthinkable crime occurs, Jill becomes the lead suspect of the subsequent investigation. In a rushed and desperate attempt to prove her own innocence, Jill finds herself in increasingly precarious environments, questioning the nature of her own friendships and position in the hysteria. Kirke and Kravitz have dynamic chemistry and play into the mumblecore dialogue with comfortable grace in the opening act. The focus on their relationship provides an excellent build to the inciting incident, and once the film begins to take the perspective of Jill, the viewer has become fully immersed in the characters’ insights and isms.
Gemini takes inspiration from the golden age of film noir. In both plot and pacing, the resemblance is made very clear. However, in all other areas, the film is unmistakably of the times. The cinematographer Andrew Reed brings hypnotizing consistency to the picture, with a vivid neon palette and pristine image composition burning up the screen from the very first frame. The aesthetic, similar to that of another new wave crime film Good Time (2017), aids the story in blending noir with more modern tastes, a ‘neon-noir’ if you will. The score was written by Keegan Dewitt, a frequent collaborator of Katz’s. Fusing lo-fi pseudo jazz with trap and drone music, the entire ambiance of the film feels designed for the millennial crowd.
As developed as the film’s vision appears to be, there are certain aspects that do not sync up in the long run. For one, new wave film tends to possess an ironic sense of self-awareness in their dialogue; a trait that is decidedly not present in true noir projects, which lean towards conviction over humility. Another core issue that Gemini never quite overcomes is the lack of emotionality. Such commitment to an elevated style can often interrupt a story’s emotional impact, and Gemini is incapable of ugliness; incapable of conjuring believable emotional reactions to situations it places its characters in. Katz, who had a hand writing and editing this film, also uses his two leads disproportionately to the rest of the cast. Early on, we are presented with a number of suspects and supporting characters that one would expect to lead to the rising action of the film. However, a lack of development in the writing, unaided by several jarring cuts throughout, makes many roles’ familiarity with Jill and Heather seem odd and out of place. Detective Ahn in particular, the supposed moral foundation of the story, plays off as an unnerving presence due to no light being shed on his nebulous intentions.
To put it frankly, the film’s narrative is completely and utterly ruined by its anticlimactic resolution. Without spoiling the plot, it can simply be said that the ‘whodunit’ aspect that the entire film builds to, ends up entirely diffusing all the present tension and stakes. However, it is such a blatant and laughably constructed story error that surprisingly enough, it does not wholly detract from the enjoyability of the film. There is a degree of disconnect between the slow burn of the film’s first two acts and the colossal misdirection that makes up its finale. The cohesiveness of audiovisual experience combined with a sufficient plot produces a genuinely investing story that supports itself all the way up to its latter shortcomings. To this end, while those hoping for fully realized narrative will surely leave disappointed, those searching for a rare atmospheric experience will, at least to some degree, find satisfaction.
