Review - Slow Storm
Firefighter Ursa Cain has a lot to prove and in Danica Novgorodoff’s “Slow Storm,” you begin to wonder if she ever will. Ursa is the only female firefighter in a firehouse in Kentucky, constantly having to prove herself as good as any of the guys and particularly tortured by her own brother, who mocks her education relentlessly.
A barn fire has Ursa encounter an illegal Mexican immigrant — and also make a move against her brother that unlocks a chain of events that will eventually bond the two outcasts, giving them an opportunity to find some common ground amidst the mess they have both created.
Unfortunately, Novgorodoff has bit off more than she can chew here. Ursa’s actions seem harsh given the circumstances and Novgorodoff employs symbolic backdrops involving Catholic saints and brewing tornadoes that hint at a deeper level but never really deliver. Symbolism is fine, but there has to be something in the foreground that it can latch onto and elevate.
Furthermore, while Novgorodoff’s artwork has its appeal, it sometimes seems as though she is using style to cover up for an inability to render anatomy or certain perspectives. At its worst, it can sometimes get confusing as to what is actually going on in the frame.
Novgorodoff has something going on — it’s not a hopeless failure by any means, it’s more of a brave leap that didn’t quite make it to the edge. You can see the ideas brewing and you can witness the hands crafting a visual style that evokes a mood, but it’s too much, she needed to do this in a much smaller story that brought everything together in a more concise manner. As it is, there is just too much space to fill with too little substance.
Hopefully Novgorodoff will pare it down in her next effort, I think she has something good to offer with the right focus and scope.
Reviewer appears to be an offended Catholic. Perhaps he should reread Slow Storm without prejudice and enjoy the artwork.
Me? You’re talking about me? Catholic? Wha???