‘Sharp Corner’: Toronto Review

Dir: Jason Buxton. Canada/Eire. 2024. 110mins

Ben Foster is commonly drawn to tormented or harmful characters, however in Sharp Nook he portrays somebody fully totally different: a compelling non-entity. Based mostly on a Russell Wangersky brief story, Canadian filmmaker Jason Buxton’s second function might be described as a psychological drama, following an aggressively passive husband and father as he turns into fixated on the automobile accidents that maintain taking place in his entrance yard. The movie doesn’t surrender its mysteries simply, however some fantastic performances and a fastidiously maintained tone maintain viewers riveted — all within the identify of a disquieting exploration of how individuals discover scraps of that means of their empty lives.

High-quality performances and a fastidiously maintained tone

Sharp Nook premieres in Toronto, additionally the launching pad for Buxton’s 2012 debut, Blackbird. Foster and co-star Cobie Smulders will assist elevate the profile of this modest image’s, which might be additional strengthened by robust opinions. Whereas arthouse is a chance, streaming providers could also be simply as possible a touchdown spot.

Tech-company government Josh (Foster) and therapist Rachel (Smulders) are a middle-class married couple who’ve simply moved out of town to a beautiful bigger house within the nation with their younger son Max (William Kosovic). The home has only one drawback: it’s situated proper subsequent to a pointy flip within the highway, which dashing or drunk drivers typically fail to recognise earlier than they spin out. The primary night time of their new house, a teen motorist dies whereas smashing right into a tree on their garden, one in all his tires flying via the window and practically hitting Josh and Rachel. Involved about their anxious baby, Rachel proposes they transfer, however Josh insists that every little thing will probably be okay — although extra lethal crashes happen over the following a number of months.

Early on, Buxton hints that his protagonist is a bit indifferent, with Josh staring off blankly as his household turns into accustomed to this seemingly idyllic house. Wielding a soft-spoken reticence, Foster creates a personality who appears to vanish from each room he’s in, his face fastened in a everlasting sigh and half-smile. (Rachel describes him, unflatteringly, as having a “defensive character”.) However as soon as the primary deadly accident occurs, Josh begins to take an curiosity within the useless teenager — a quiet, constructing curiosity that begins to distract him from work and his marriage. The crash doesn’t change his outer bearing, however Foster deftly means that one thing has been awoken inside Josh, even when audiences is not going to know for a while exactly what it’s.

A lot of Sharp Nook’s fascination comes from making an attempt to unravel Josh’s puzzling agenda. With out telling his spouse, he begins studying CPR — and, extra intriguingly, attends the funeral ensuing from one other deadly automobile crash in entrance of his home, pretending to be a pal of the deceased. Rachel grows more and more anxious that Max is exhibiting indicators of post-traumatic stress dysfunction from witnessing these frequent accidents. However Josh refuses to depart, arguing that spending extra time with Max will assist his son get well from the trauma. On the identical time, Josh is silently smarting about lately being handed over for a promotion at work.

Due to its naturalistic method to a progressively odd scenario, Sharp Nook dangers shedding its viewers, beginning with the unusual regularity of those automobile crashes. However Buxton and the characters settle for that stunning actuality, which paves the best way for Foster’s dedicated efficiency, a tough tightrope stroll as a person unable (or, maybe, unwilling) to articulate his interior life. Identified for intense portrayals in movies comparable to Hell Or Excessive Water, the actor brings that historical past to this position whereas subverting our expectations. Josh by no means explodes within the methods Foster’s earlier characters have, however there’s a simmering unease to this ineffectual particular person which is entrancing. (Stephen McKeon’s ominous rating solely heightens the sense of dread.) When, ultimately, it turns into obvious why Josh has been behaving so surprisingly, Foster and Buxton have laid out sufficient clues in order that the revelation is comprehensible — albeit, very shocking.

With Foster so muted, his character’s inexplicable tendencies a troubling riddle, Smulders should floor the proceedings, taking part in Rachel as a smart girl who loves her husband however doesn’t comprehend his want to remain on the home. Sharp Nook is the portrait of a failing marriage, and Smulders treats each scene with the right gravity, believably reacting as anybody would to Josh’s complicated actions and eventual deception. She provides Foster the house to play a person so withdrawn that he can not summon the need to precise his bottomless disappointment. The movie sideswipes us by precisely how Josh lastly decides to open up.