Malorie Gilman (Joslyn Jensen) is a young, talented composition writer whose life is falling apart. Rent is being raised to the point of unaffordability, her boyfriend is cheating on her and the scholarship that she desperately needed in order to continue going to school has slipped through her fingers into the hands of a rival. Her Composition is the only thing that might be able to save her life and her reality, but before she can think about her future, she must determine how to survive in the now. As she turns to prostitution to help ease the difficulties in her life she comes to understand these sexual encounters may be the muse she’s been looking for as the combination of sounds and intricate body movements help to inspire her writing and save her life.
As Malorie navigates this new world of prostitution, the sounds and the visuals that, before now were almost invisible to her, etch themselves on her heart, soul and mind. These simplistic, but important, pieces of everyday life are what drive Her Composition and keep audiences engaged throughout the course of the film. Writer-director Stephan Littger creates an amazing sense of realism and beauty in the things that we see and hear everyday. Littger, while not entirely endearing in his overall script, manages to combine multiple mediums, including painting, music and film, to create a complete and sound composition of passion.
Much of the film revolves around sex and impression it makes on Malorie. What is impressive about the extreme use of sex is that it rarely feels like those particular scenes are being forced on the audience. They seem to flow in a fashion that, even in the most uncomfortable of situations, viewers find comfort in what is taking place. Furthermore, the extreme sexualization of Malorie manages to feel less like it’s being forced into the story and on viewers, and more like a fair addition to the story. The beauty present in Her Composition works its way toward viewers but ultimately ends up falling short. It’s clear the passion that Littger has for music and film, but his passion is lost in translation when the less-than-impressive actors attempt to convey his message.
Her Composition is full of actors who don’t appear to share a passion for the content of the film. Jensen, Christian Campbell (Client #1) and Kevin Breznahan (Carl) fail to impress as their emotional capacity appears to be absolute zilch. Nearly every scene in the film is difficult to appreciate as these three, among others, fail to deliver any emotion whatsoever. Every word is spoken in a matter-of-fact fashion, leaving Her Composition completely void of emotion. With what I can only assume was a barely functional budget, I can understand the fact that Picture Train Production Company was strapped for cash and placed in a difficult situation in terms of finding seasoned talent capable of delivering Littger’s vision.
While Littger is able to show viewers over and over again throughout Her Composition, as the vibrant noises and unexpectedly beautiful paintings flow freely, his vision is unable to fully materialize and come to fruition due to the people who surround him on the project. Lack of talent and the inability of the actors to convey emotion (at all) leads to Her Composition failing hard. The film has great potential, but ultimately leaves audiences feeling empty and unimpressed.
Written & Directed by Stephan Littger. Starring Joslyn Jensen, John Rothman, Margot Bingham, Christian Campbell, Kevin Breznaham, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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