One Percent More Humid – Digital 10/10/17

ONE PERCENT MORE HUMID
Debuting on Digital October 10

Synopsis: Nominated for Best U.S. Narrative Feature and Winner of Best Actor (Alessandro Nivola) in a U.S. Narrative Feature at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, ONE PERCENT MORE HUMID is a coming-of-age story about friendship and grief. Catherine (Julia Garner) and Iris (Juno Temple), childhood friends returning home to a hot & humid New England summer, fill their days & nights with parties, skinny-dipping and rekindling old relationships, but when a shared trauma from their past becomes increasingly difficult to suppress, a wedge between the two grows and each begin to pursue forbidden love affairs.

Review: Alessandro Nivola may have deservedly won Best Actor at the Tribeca Film Festival but there is no doubt  that Julie Garner and Juno Temple make this the emotional powerhouse it is. Gritty and organic performances solidify Liz W. Garcia’ s script (Liz also directed) and capture the attention of viewers. (review continued below)

I have always admired Temple as an actress. She seems to take roles that most would shy away from and puts herself out there with no concern of perception. Here she works splendidly submerged in grief and forbidden love. Her ability to make it all seem effortless is the most intriguing. Julia Garner is no slouch either and the two women together are a force of determination.

The story is well crafted too. Though far from unique it still captures the heart of the characters and the humid New England  setting.  I appreciated how timeless it felt. It could have happened at any point in the last 5 decades and still been just as believable. Also Liz is careful not too allow all the details to come flooding forth too early. We know something devastating happened but are fine not knowing all the facts. This keeps us speculating while enjoying the performances.

Nivola plays a college professor and is a strong male balance to the two leading ladies. He does it by being vulnerable and delivering a performance that never feels rushed or trite. Again the character is nothing we haven’t seen before but that is ok. By not overselling it or making the character memorable it fits perfectly in the narrative.

ONE PERCENT MORE HUMID is rated R for sexual content, nudity, drug use and language. Juno never shies away from nudity but as always it feels totally natural and commonplace. It is that confidence that allows those scenes to never come across as gratuitous or sensationalized. I give it 3.75 out of 5 essays. One of the more solid digital offerings to come around in some time.