The “Bonnie & Clyde”-style romantic crime thriller has evolved into a subgenre of its own that often initiates a new phase in American filmmaking. The notion that two confused, disenchanted young people could be in love with the environment of America, yet furious at its institutions, has only become more relevant since Arthur Penn’s 1967 classic kicked off the “New Hollywood” era. If “True Romance” captured the ‘90s indie boom, “Wild at Heart” weaponized ‘50s nostalgia, and “Thelma & Louie” revamped the subgenre with a feminist slant, “Carolina Caroline” is an appropriately modern twist that plays into the right type of nostalgia. The adventure it charts could have been the same in a film made a half-century ago, but “Carolina Caroline” locates a distinctly contemporary anxiety about young people who feel no sense of home, and see their futures collapsing in front of them.
“Carolina Caroline” introduces the small town West Texas girl Caroline (Samara Weaving), who has been nursing her retired father (John Gries) with the hope of traveling to South Carolina to meet her mother (Kyra Sedgwick), who abandoned her at a young age. It’s through an innocent encounter at a local gas station that Caroline encounters Oliver (Kyle Gallner), a charismatic, self-professed traveler who pulls off a confidence trick. Caroline is intrigued by Oliver’s ability to steal with nothing more than a wink and a smile, leading them to quickly form a tight bond. Their adventure of thievery, masquerading, and duplicity might be loosely aimed at reaching Caroline’s mother, but their cross-country trip becomes definitive proof that both characters feel out-of-time in more ways than one.
“Carolina Caroline” is the third feature from director Adam Carter Rehmeier, who has excelled in crafting the type of films that “they don’t make anymore.” While Hollywood’s obsession with nostalgia has often become exhausting as a means to enact references, Reheimer’s previous film “Snack Shack” was a strong reminder as to why it’s easier to set things in the past; not only does it draw from his own semi-autobiographical experience, but it takes place in an era in which the Internet hasn’t created its own complications. With “Carolina Caroline,” the nostalgia is more thematic. There’s only scant references to specific times and places, even if the setting appears to be modern. It’s by setting the film on the edges of society that Reheimer has given himself an excuse to play things classically, which fits the theme of Caroline and Oliver being able to operate without intrusion from the outside world. It’s not only that they are “old souls,” but that working within this American tradition of “Robin Hood”-esque mischief is the solution for their respective identity struggles.
There are some collision points that “Carolina Caroline” broadcasts well in advance. While the standoff between Caroline and her mother is effectively jarring, it’s evident from the moment she alludes to a difficult child what that scene will be, and what effect it will have on the story. However, the smarter choice that “Carolina Caroline” makes is to rarely introduce side characters that would in any way contradict the moral excuses that Caroline and Oliver have given to one another. They’ve formed such an effective unit that they’ve bought into each other’s outspoken generalizations, foreshadowing an inevitable point of combustion. Even if “Carolina Caroline” is interested in being as entertaining as possible during each mini-setpiece, the dark turns are rendered in an effectively shocking way.
As is the case with any film within this subgenre, “Carolina Caroline” would only ever be as successful as the chemistry between its leads. Gallner previously worked with Rehmeier on the indie dramedy “Dinner in America,” which contributed to his growing reputation as one of the de facto leading men in the offbeat American indie movement of films passed over by major festivals and distributors. Gallner is a talented character actor with chameleonic abilities, but “Carolina Caroline” asks him to be a smoldering, charismatic embodiment of the “rebel” spirit seen in such quintessential Golden Age stars as Marlon Brando, James Dean, and Paul Newman. He’s a character so immersed within his own mission that his confidence rarely breaks, yet still feels utterly sincere when he proclaims himself to be infatuated with Caroline. The effortless cool, hints of vulnerability, and occasional flashes of true danger create one of the year’s most compelling characters, as this is the best performance of Gallner’s career; for those that have been following him since his breakthrough role on FX’s “The Shield,” this is no small statement.
Weaving is tasked with being both an audience avatar and a conduit for the emptiness promised by the American dream, tasks that the rising Australian star pulls off beautifully. That Caroline’s backstory is tragic, yet not completely unusual, is critical in understanding her motivations for sticking with Oliver. She’s clearly a talented, intelligent young person who deserves to see more than the confines of the town that she grew up in, but those opportunities are only offered to those willing to bet on themselves. Although this is a class-conscious film that seems to have genuine empathy for the communities that it languishes in, it’s also an up-to-date consideration of the fear of banality felt by young people in the modern day.
Rehmeier navigates from an episodic, almost spiritual series of escapades into a more intensive thriller with delicacy, as he introduces both serious ethical debates and legitimate narrative threats at the same time. There’s enough time spent in the most minor of character-building moments to make the universe feel lived-in, but it also beautifully maps out the evolution of its central relationship over an extended stretch of time. That “Carolina Caroline” is so lyrical, thoughtful, and cathartic within its relatively short runtime shows an economy on Rehmeier’s part that evokes comparison to the directors who clearly inspired him. “Carolina Caroline” is not purely a pastiche, but it’s the best possible version of a familiar story, and a reminder as to why it has never failed to feel relevant.
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