Showing at the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival, Heather Young’s film Murmur is a melodrama that follows one woman on the uncomfortable journey of being a recovering alcoholic and her subsequent addiction to hoarding pets. It is a slow and quiet film, but one that is impactful in its portrayal of depression, loneliness, and the ache of recovery.

Donna (Shan MacDonald) lives alone in her apartment, sullen and melancholy while vaping and drinking wine. One day, she interviews for a cleaning job at an animal clinic, which provides Donna with an opportunity to interact and care for the animals; estranged from her daughter and on probation, the animals offer her a form of therapy and love. Caring for the animals at the clinic inspires Donna to bring them home with her, and eventually, she brings home more and more needy animals to look after. Her need to bring home these animals draws concern, with the clinic director pointing out the financial burden, and not to mention, her own ailment after doctors discover a heart murmur during a check-up.

Murmur is a film that hardly ever murmurs a word — it is a very quiet film which finds refuge in the excruciatingly mundane life of Donna. Not everyone’s life should be made into a movie, but writer/director Heather Young seems to celebrate the everyday heroism of simply existing in an unforgiving world. A lot of the time the camera lingers on nothing particularly special — Young’s style is as though she has more of an interest in the negatives rather than the actual image. The framing of each scene is unique, having half a view gives one the feeling of peering into Donna’s life through a half-open door, a feeling that furthers the atmosphere of disconnect as we explore Donna’s dependent but lonely nature.

It is a character-driven film in that we only learn about Donna and view everything from her perspective. She hardly speaks with other characters, we never get to learn about her relationship with her daughter from her daughter’s perspective, and some characters are only filmed from behind as they are speaking to her — it all feels detached and clinical. At times, it feels like the film is a documentary about Donna, simply following her around as her days go by. Some may find Murmur unbearably slow and aimless, however, Shan MacDonald as Donna gives a touching performance and makes this film worth watching.

Written and directed by Heather Young, Murmur takes an unflinching look at the life of Donna, who struggles with the inner demons of her past which still affect her present. Rather than being up close and personal in its camera style in order to revel in the sadness of the protagonist, Heather Young steps back and captures the despondent Donna in an indifferent manner. It makes for an interesting watch, though slow to build to any “drama” until the very end.

MOVIE RATING – 6 out of 10 ☠️

Murmur

Rating: N/A

Runtime: 1 hr and 24 min

Director: Heather Young

Writer: Heather Young

PULL QUOTE

1. Caring for the animals at the clinic inspires Donna to bring them home with her, and eventually, she brings home more and more needy animals to look after.
2. Murmur is a film that hardly ever murmurs a word — it is a very quiet film which finds refuge in the excruciatingly mundane life of Donna.
3. Some may find Murmur unbearably slow and aimless, however, Shan MacDonald as Donna gives a heartbreaking performance and makes this film worth watching.