American Dreams section - review - UNCERTAIN TERMS by Nathan Silver

Independent American cinema has prominently discovered the joys of digital filmmaker, improvisation and the relationship between humans and nature within a contemporary context. Nathan Silver is certainly one of its most interesting exponents, and Uncertain Terms continues Silver’s rising reputation as one of the main exponents of this movement.

Nevertheless, it wouldn’t be right to categorise a film like Uncertain Terms, a film that thematically speaking is as universally appealing as it is personal. Drawing inspiration from his mother’s life story, this is the story of a man who ends up helping his aunt who runs an institution for young pregnant women. Silver’s mother, Cindy Silver, attended an institution like it and the director casts her as the woman who looks after the girls.

Complicating the storyline is the dramatic implications that derive from the man’s need to get away from his partner who has cheated on him, and his growing interest for one of the young girls whose irresponsible boyfriend is cause for concern.

The whole experience feel quite real, thanks to a comfortable wide use of improvisation and Silver’s approach at directing them – giving them plenty of breathing space that allows each member of the cast to really explore their characters. Furthermore, the cinematography’s connection with light and nature provides a poetic backdrop to the dramatic tension of the story and adds a stunning visual appeal.

Clocking in at around an hour and a quarter, Uncertain Terms is never boring. On top of that, it is pretty intense and unwraps at a constant and relentless pace that allows us to immerge in the story in a natural and comfortable way.