New Jersey Stage Issue 70 | Page 89

The sociopathic side of Rosina that left her sister wearing an eye-patch returns as she em- barks on a mission with the in- tent of either harming Joselo or winning his affections. Like the unstable female protago- nists of Straight on Till Morn- ing and Ingrid Goes West, Rosina steals the object of her desire’s dog, keeping the mutt in a forest while Joselo scours the town for his prized pooch. Meanwhile, sea lion carcasses have washed up on shore, in- dicating that maybe Rosina did see a shark after all. The idea is quickly put to bed by the town’s NJ STAGE - ISSUE 70 authorities, who invite a news crew to dismiss any notions of an impending shark attack. But Rosina is determined to lure in both the shark and Joselo. On the surface, the idea of blood in the water is a pretty blunt allegory for Rosina’s sexual awakening, but Garibaldi never hammers home the metaphor. Rather her film is as restrained as cinema gets, as sleepy and sub- dued as its seaside setting. There are no great dramatic moments here, simply a collection of minor incidents that build to Rosina’s ultimate act of potentially vio- lent narcissism. In many ways it’s INDEX NEXT ARTICLE 89