In his directorial debut, Stuart Gatt’s film Catching Dust starring Erin Moriatry, Jai Courtney, Dina Shihabi, and Ryan Corr finds Clyde (Courtney) and Geena (Moriarty) living in an abandoned commune in West Texas in their small trailer. It becomes evident that their isolation is intended for their own protection when Clyde gets mixed up in some trouble, forcing Gina to live out her days alone while Clyde hunts and provides for them both.
It seems like Gina’s days could not get any more lonely when suddenly couple Andy and Amaya show up at the commune looking to get away from home with a three week vacation in a “thriving community.” Upon discovering there is no community left, Andy and Amaya think about leaving until Geena convinces them to stay. What transpires is a dramatic look at relationships and classism against beautiful production design.
Related: Tribeca Festival 2023 Review – “The Listener”
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Catching Dust takes on differentiating relationships among Geena and Clyde, who have lived in the South their whole lives, and Andy and Amaya, an “elite” New York couple. Gatt’s script focuses on relationship dynamics in a way that displays the hardships and pain that comes with love. The bias that often arises looking at people from different parts of the nation is squashed, as the center of this film unravels the illusion that “the grass is greener on the other side.” Both couples find themselves in devastating situations that force them to examine their relationships. Although their issues may be on different sides of the spectrum, it is interesting to see the crash and burn regardless of social status or upbringing.
One aspect of Catching Dust that must be highlighted is the fantastic use of costume design to further tell the story. Costume designer Lily Faith Knight does a fantastic job of dressing Erin Moriarty’s character Geena, her outfits ranging from 1950s housewife to 2023 millennial desert sunflower. Geena’s character wants to take care of her husband the way she has always been brought up, by cooking him food and straightening up, even if she has her own hobbies.
The scenes where Geena is trying to appease Clyde her costumes mirror the housewife vibe while when she decides to leave and visit Andy and Amaya her outfits are more modern to fit her modern dreams. Catching Dust utilizes a number of filmmaking and stylistic choices to coincide with the story it is telling.
Gatt’s script is paced perfectly, giving the audience time to observe Clyde and Geena as a couple before the arrival of Andy and Amaya. Drama unfolds in a suspenseful way, the audience unable to exactly pinpoint where each couple will end up by the end of the film. It keeps you on your toes, feeling just as trapped in the desert as Geena feels. Overall, Catching Dust is a brilliant first feature by Stuart Gatt displaying him as a great new up and coming director to watch.
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