Old Street is a very personal picture for Sol Baldi. The Argentinian filmmaker’s second feature began as a short at University, but she knew there was more story to tell. Structured plot points were scrambled together across pub napkins over pints during the King’s coronation. Her script went up in flames on the first day of shooting as she deemed it not authentic enough. She split directing duties between acting, pushing herself and the crew to their limits through endless takes. An impulsive creative process that made Baldi feel “inhuman” in order for the film to be raw.
And there’s no doubt that she has achieved this goal. Attending the Pre-Screening at Everyman Cinema Bristol came with preliminary warnings of potential sound and colour grading issues. Yet, they only added to the experience, with Cormac Hayes’ intense soundtrack engrossing me within the story. Scarlett (Jasmine Sumner) is an aspiring actor in a relationship with her boyfriend Lyall (Charlie Rich). Stressed auditioning for roles, her vulnerability is elevated at Lyall’s suggestion of an open relationship. Depending on best friend Luna (Sol Baldi) for emotional support, Scarlett’s navigation through life quickly spirals out of control.
“The plot was there from the beginning, the improv was the chocolate from the cake” – Baldi
Sumner and Rich would also be navigating Old Street with no script, having been burnt in front of them. Through outlines and Baldi’s direction, their improvisational dialogue and genuine reactions were pivotal to the picture’s success. Embodying these characters addicted to love and other drugs adds extra dimensions open to interpretations. Even the actors somewhat disagreed on their parts’ intentions, further explored during the Q&A. I personally agree with Sumner’s take, paraphrased down to avoiding loneliness, but its innumerable perceptions add to the film’s strengths.
What could be produced as a linear narrative is combined with hallucinogenic dream sequences, yearning flashbacks and alternate realities. Through Joe Dunlop’s editing, we’re never truly assured what is real or an unreliable narrator’s thought pattern. Each scene is filled with coded imagery, and so stylistically unique they could be a collection of shorts patchworked together. Some go on past the point of discomfort, or perhaps I couldn’t comprehend the thematic message.
However, the majority left me wanting to rewatch and fully contextualise why I related so much to this movie. Overall, Baldi’s influences of David Lynch and Gaspar Noé shine through Old Street. Visceral, devastating moments told through multiple storytelling devices pay off an ambitious, thought-provoking project.