The Wilde Girls

A period comedy adventure feature written and directed by Timothy Hines and starring Lydia Pearl Pentz, Cali Scolari, Teddy Smith and Matt Silver.

The year is 1932 and the Great Depression has damaged the economy. In New York City, a wealthy family is being deeply affected by this economic downturn as the father of young sisters Tinsley (Pentz) and Mattie (Scolari) takes his own life. Due to complications regarding the inheritance, his vast fortune goes to the siblings' two aunts, Florence (Heidi Kravitz) and Beatrice (Susan Goforth), who send their nieces at a remote location in the Pacific Northwest, with the apparent intention of finding some solace until things calm down. There, following dramatic complications, the sisters will end up alone in the wilderness, fighting for their lives and meeting Silas (Smith), a mountaineer who will end up teaching them valuable lessons about life.

This slapstick comedy has a fish out of water plot: two women who are used to riches and not doing any chores suddenly find themselves losing their priviledges provided to them by wealth and having to live by themselves. It is an intriguing story that focuses primarily on the character development that the sisters go through as they become accustomed to living in nature. The humour comes in the form of the siblings' attitude towards their new situation and experiences. They constantly disagree with what to do next and do not fully understand the severity of their position (mostly Tinsley), whether it involves being hunted by a wolf or a bear, or even a hitman (Button). Approximately the first half is like a road movie with the siblings traveling through forests and mountains and the rest focuses on the rapport they build with Silas. The mise-en-scene is pretty impressive, with the clothing, vehicles and buildings being convincing that they belong in that era and there are many shots that capture the beauty of the surrounding landscapes and the wildlife. Commendations also go to the creativity involving the montages that contain atmosphere that bring the viewer to the time of the Great Depression. Goforth and Hines also contributed towards the soundtrack that consists of some feel-good songs.

This film is obviously meant to be regarded as a light-hearted comedy so it could be forgiven that overall, the acting is not superb. A more solid issue might be the length. With a duration of nearly two hours, the feature feels overlong. One thing that was probably unnecessary was the addition of two characters: Helena and Larry, who are played by Lydia Scheuermann and Roman Dubrovskiy. Their presence does not really support the narrative and just adds in making the story overlong.

As mentioned, the performances are not very convincing, however, they are entertaining. Pentz and Mattie are used to wealth, yet have different personalities and perceptions. Tinsley is naive and quite stubborn when it comes to changing her habits and she panics easily. Mattie is more sensible and has more (way more it seems) common sense than her sibling. Silas is a kind-hearted person who changes their lives: he shows them how to live off nature, how to hunt animals and generally teaches them that money does not matter. As for Silver's character, he is a British assassin who is rather clumsy.

From one perspective, this feature can be perceived as a commentary about the Great Depression. From another point of view, it acknowledges that wealth is not everything and is not essential for a good life. Yet another opinion would be that this is a story about survival, self-reflection, self-discovery, sisterhood and friendship.

An interesting period comedy. Viewers will most likely enjoy the humour and comical action scenes and also contemplate the messages that it carries.