‘Magic Hour’ Review: Katie Aselton & Daveed Diggs Fuel A Charming Duplass Production [SXSW]

It’s evident, almost immediately, that a film called “Magic Hour” begins, and two people are introduced, Erin (Katie Aselton) and Charlie (Daveed Diggs), and they have a stable, cheerful relationship between them. Video captured at an amusement park perfectly puts their dynamic on display as they self-deprecatingly lollygag about the premises, and from this footage, the film shift to the desert, specifically Joshua Tree, where a lavish home owned by Erin’s friend (Brad Garrett) seems to be something of a getaway for the couple as they, as Garrett himself puts it, “work through all the crap.”

Indeed, there does exist something the two need to figure out, with Charlie’s upbeat demeanor clashing against Erin’s frequent slips into melancholy and an outburst emanating from Erin while the two are out hiking the desolate, beautiful landscape surrounding Garrett’s residence hints at some as-yet-unknown tragedy having occurred no long prior. Could Erin’s struggles with infertility be the impetus f her gloom? Could something bigger be at play? 

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Without delving into spoilers, a twist does lurk early on, one that sets the stage for the remainder of the film’s 80 minutes and another overall home run for Duplass Brothers Productions, a studio having delivered scores of understated, magnificent indies for years in addition to “Magic Hour, “studio co-head Mark Duplass authored alongside his real-life wife Aselton, the latter also occupying the director’s chair after such efforts as “The Freebie” and “Black Rock.”

Transitioning to Erin’s solo vlogs or when she and Charlie speak to the camera together breaks up the flow while simultaneously bolstering the more remarkable story, with additional pleasant detours including a troupe of drag queens who arrive one night with their sole mission seemingly to show Erin a wonderful time never once feeling out of place, even demonstrating that their scant minutes of screentime could last even longer without issue.

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Every cast member, even Susan Sullivan, in a third act’s arrival as Erin’s arrogant mother, demonstrates more than enough dedication to the story. However, Aselton and Diggs ultimately run away with the focus, with chemistry to spare and casual insistence that the audience cares, never once feeling like a demand but allowing the straightforward yet complex narrative to draw us in. 

Elevated by a beautiful score courtesy of Zach Dawes and Tyler Parkford and a desert setting far removed from the desolation of “Revenge” or “The Outwaters, “it’s a comforting tale about moving on, all the way to that tearjerking final shot. 

With “Magic Hour, “Aselton and Duplass have again given us something uniquely special, a film one could easily overlook. However, hardly a moment needs to pass before it becomes impossible to happily dive into this brief glimpse into the world of Erin an Charlie. A certain scene may even cause bananas to be seen a bit differently, but if viewing “Magic Hour” as a complete package produces that feeling only true love leaves behind, that’s the r al magic. [A-]

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