Far From the Apple Tree is an engaging, if oblique study of the creative process: it takes in ideas of the ‘muse’, although it does so from a different perspective than usual, and it’s a considered, thoughtful piece of film which looks fantastic. We start out with an opening night at a gallery: one of the attendees, Judith (Sorcha Groundsell) is mesmerised by the photography on display by artist Roberta Rosslyn (Victoria Liddelle), and it seems that Judith has more than a passing interest in the medium herself, hoping to strike out with a career of her own. But we see her getting knocked back from a college place to study photography; getting established is clearly no mean feat.
Judith is surprised, then, to receive a call from Rosslyn herself, who says that she has ‘seen something’ in her and wishes to make her an offer. Judith is offered a kind of residency at Roberta’s home, cataloguing her photographic work. It’s a tantalising enough deal that Judith accepts, despite a few dubious internet searches about the artist’s background and her eventful life. Judith has to move in, but she has the offer of an exhibition herself at the end of the residency. The two women, alongside domestic help Suzy (Lynsey-Anne Moffat) begin to build a relationship. It’s at times strained, not least by the fact that Judith notices an uncanny likeness between herself and Maddy, Roberta’s deceased – or at least absent – daughter, and frequent model for her earlier work. Roberta suggests that her creativity has been extinguished since Maddy’s absence, but she hopes with this new impetus, she can get it back. As Judith gets to work, she herself becomes obsessed with Maddy both as a muse and as a girl whose disappearance is suspicious. The process of archiving Roberta’s work is spell-like, and the further Judith proceeds, the more tenuous her grasp on reality becomes.
The doppelgänger motif is a well established idea, particularly in horror cinema – which Far From the Apple Tree is in some respects a part of – and here it’s explored in terms of a better, more proficient version of self. Judith longs for the kind of presence and artistic nous which Maddy seems to have, and obsesses over her, as a figure both present and absent. Roberta is an interesting figure, refusing to be drawn on Maddy’s true whereabouts and an at-times overbearing presence in Judith’s life, which suggests from very early on in the film that she, too, sees Maddy in Judith. But all told, plot is not the key consideration here: you certainly get enough to justify the goings-on, but this is not a film which prioritises its narrative. Just as the art world forms the backdrop for Far From the Apple Tree, so the film itself is heavily artistic. It’s all strangely engrossing, and it looks amazing: this is a film which understands the power of a well-photographed and lit take, which it layers upon other well-photographed, well-composed scenes. There is an array of different cameras and shots, great interiors, a wealth of warm lighting, all interspersed with some of the more standard ‘trippy’ footage, but the overall impact is a positive one and the film looks stylish and engaging throughout.
I was also impressed by the natural, plausible characterisation: as much as Far From the Apple Tree looks the part, it also demonstrates some careful, light-touch writing, particularly for the growing relationship between Judith and Roberta, whose dynamic shifts around: at some points Roberta is maternal, at others she’s a difficult boss, and at others she’s a lost, vulnerable person in her own right. It’s all nicely done, and Judith’s attempts to deal with this whilst understanding the bigger picture of what is unfolding around her definitely holds interest. The whole focus on analogue tech is ubiquitous at this point; it does have a point to it here, though, which extends beyond simple nostalgia. And as for how all of this sounds, Rose McDowall provides the soundtrack and her style of neofolk works absolutely perfectly.
Far From the Apple Tree is an atmospheric piece of film with visual and musical flair: it works really well on these terms, and so long as you are okay with storytelling being lower in the mix than how the story is actually told, then there is plenty here to enjoy.
Far From the Apple Tree is available to stream via Redemption TV. Also available to buy on DVD: coming soon.