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  • Warning: Spoilers
    "Leaning Towards Solace" is a 12-minute live action short film from 2012, so this one has its 5th anniversary this year. It was written and directed by prolific music video maker Floria Sigismondi, so you already know the direction this is heading. But it is certainly very long for a music video. The singers here are Icelandic band Sigur Ros and as with Björk there is also an air of mystery around them with their style etc. And boy were they trying to be artistic with this one here. In theory it may sound great to see Oscar nominee John Hawkes and Elle Fanning, certainly one of the most talented actresses from her generation, in here, but the outcome is an embarrassment. One embarrassing pretentious voice-over follows the next, first Hawkes, then Fanning. And right when you think hey at least the film is somehow working from the metaphoric perspective of a daughter losing her father, then Sigismondi throws in the scene with the baby which is when the film hits really rock-bottom. It may be packed with metaphors, symbolisms etc. and it may be true that I did not recognize half of them, but honestly this short film had self-important pretense written over it in the most unbearable way that 4 stars out of 10 is still really generous. Anyway, occasionally it reminded me a bit of "The Tree of Life" and everybody who has read my review on that one will know that this is not a compliment. Not at all. I cannot even recommend this little movie to fans of either of the two actors as I am kind of myself and did not enjoy it at all. Stay far far away because the song is pretty weak and generic too.