ALL THE LIGHT IN THE SKY Young Americans

Joe Swanberg returns to AFI FEST following last year’s Filmmaker Spotlight with a tale direct from Hollywood’s backyard. Jane Adams plays a woman living in a house perched precariously on stilts above the beach in Malibu who clings to her life’s ambitions in much the same way. With her age exempting her from more and more acting opportunities, her future is uncertain. That’s when her young niece – a superb Sophia Takal – comes for a weekend stay. The film captures their night conversations, fears and stories that emerge in the witching hours. Swanberg has become a master at eliciting inspired performances from his actors. Here, he’s working at the height of his powers and, with Adams, he’s clearly tapped into an actor with creative reserves. Negotiating the language and relationships of late 21st century Americans, Swanberg’s alchemy is at its best.