Over the past decade, A24 has been one of cinema’s most prolific independent production companies. Most of its films have received critical acclaim, while Amy, Ex Machina, Room and Minari have won Academy Awards. Moonlight even picked up the Best Picture Oscar in 2017.
The Sky Is Everywhere is the latest offering from A24 and the romantic drama possesses many of the hallmarks that have made the company's films so popular. Not only does director Josephine Decker take an inventive approach to writer Jandy Nelson’s 2010 novel, but the story itself is an empathetic and modern look at grief, love and family.
The film examines these themes through the eyes of Lennie Walker (Grace Kaufman), a high schooler in the imaginary town of Clover, California, who is struggling to deal with the sudden death of her older sister, Bailey (Havana Rose Liu).
With her grandmother (Cherry Jones) and uncle (Jason Segel), who are her guardians, also in despair, Lennie becomes closer and then romantically involved with her sister’s former fiance Toby (Pico Alexander). This only exacerbates Lennie’s guilt and grief over Bailey’s death. But she soon starts to find solace with Joe (Jacque Colimon), a new boy in town, who shares Lennie’s love of music.
The Sky Is Everywhere immediately drops its emotional heft on to viewers. Within the opening minute, Lennie is recalling Bailey’s death during her audition for the titular role in Romeo and Juliet, before then detailing her despair and trauma over the next few months.
That doesn’t make for particularly pleasant viewing. But Decker’s innovative use of practical special effects to put us into Lennie’s mindset, as well as her use of bright colours, short scenes and quick editing, make the film’s exploration of such weighty material more palatable.
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
Unfortunately, though, The Sky Is Everywhere never quite gets its tone right. Instead, it goes from being an intense drama about a grieving teenager in one scene to a sweet love-triangle romance in the next. As a result, you’re never able to fully invest in Lennie’s plight, despite the best efforts of a rather impressive leading portrayal from Kaufman.
In fact, most of the performances are superb. Kaufman is able to sell Lennie’s emotional anguish, as well as being charming, aloof, and funny. Her cute but awkward chemistry with Colimon also works, while Jones is effective as the grandmother trying to hide her own pain. It’s just a shame that there isn’t more Segel, as his presence immediately brings a quirkiness to the film that it benefits from.
But they can’t make up for The Sky Is Everywhere’s dramatic tonal lurching. While such a shift is fine in a book, as it brings a depth and richness to the characters and the story, in the film, it just makes it harder to engage.
What makes The Sky Is Everywhere’s unevenness all the more frustrating is that Decker’s direction is just as strong as the performances. Her shot compositions are all alluring and gorgeous to look at, while she implements a captivating rhythm that nearly helps to paper over the cracks. But The Sky Is Everywhere’s flat finale ultimately confirms it as a disappointment, while affirming that, when it comes to adaptations, less is usually more.
The Sky Is Everywhere is released on Apple TV+ on February 11
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Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
The specs: 2019 Lincoln MKC
Price, base / as tested: Dh169,995 / Dh192,045
Engine: Turbocharged, 2.0-litre, in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 253hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 389Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.7L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
Cricket World Cup League Two
Teams
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
Fixtures
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm
Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km
Price: from Dh285,000
On sale: from January 2022
The low down on MPS
What is myofascial pain syndrome?
Myofascial pain syndrome refers to pain and inflammation in the body’s soft tissue. MPS is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles, which develops knots, also known as trigger points).
What are trigger points?
Trigger points are irritable knots in the soft tissue that covers muscle tissue. Through injury or overuse, muscle fibres contract as a reactive and protective measure, creating tension in the form of hard and, palpable nodules. Overuse and sustained posture are the main culprits in developing trigger points.
What is myofascial or trigger-point release?
Releasing these nodules requires a hands-on technique that involves applying gentle sustained pressure to release muscular shortness and tightness. This eliminates restrictions in connective tissue in orderto restore motion and alleviate pain. Therapy balls have proven effective at causing enough commotion in the tissue, prompting the release of these hard knots.
Company%20Profile
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'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
