Searching for self, place in ‘The Scout’

      When strangers learn I’m a film critic, they invariably respond with, “Wow, must be cool to watch movies all day.”And I often politely reply, “Yes, it is,” while thinking, “If they only knew,” which, I guess, makes me a kindred spirit of Sofia, the protagonist in writer-director Paula González-Nasser’s debut feature, “The Scout.”

     As a location finder for movies and TV shows, Sofia often hears similar expressions of mild envy during her daily routine of beating the pavement, flitting from house to house, dropping off fliers, meeting with potential clients in their abodes and enduring the pomposity of her boorish bosses. I found it akin to Kitty Green’s acclaimed 2019 day-in-the-life, “The Assistant,” in which Julia Garner portrayed an aide to a sexist, Weinstein-esque movie producer who uses and abuses her from dawn to dusk.

    Sofia doesn’t have it nearly as bad, but she suffers her share of indignities and frustrations, as chronicled by González-Nasser, herself a one-time location scout. She is Sofia, and Sofia is her, channeled through a very good Mimi Davila, giving us a glimpse into a day that begins unspectacularly in the bedroom of Sofia’s cramped Brooklyn walk-up. 

    She’s slumbering, ignoring her boyfriend’s gentle efforts to rouse her for work. Eventually, she stirs, and we’re off, passengers in the backseat of her VW sedan as she makes her way through the Carey Tunnel toward Manhattan, listening to a dozen phone messages left overnight by her boss, Jasmin (Lisa Haas), and an assortment of current and prospective clients. By design, we’re not privy to Sofia’s visceral reactions to the voicemails, and we’re denied access to her inner thoughts. But you sense her annoyance when she arrives at the office only to learn the commute was a waste of time she does not have.

      Miffed, she turns around and drives back to Brooklyn for a full day of meeting with clients in their stylistically decorated residences, which she photographs extensively while exchanging small talk. It’s meant to be mundane, but what we’re witnessing goes much deeper: Sofia’s innate ability to adapt her personality and demeanor to whoever she’s with or whatever space she’s occupying. It’s impressive how freely the dwellersopen up to a virtual stranger about their personal issues in these inner sanctums where they feel most at ease, airing the grievances they’d never disclose to friends or family.

     An older woman (Rutanya Alda) hints at feeling abandoned by her grown children, who both now live abroad. She’s followed by a truly creepy work-from-home computer hacker (Max Rosen) who appears to be hitting on her while his newborn baby cries unattended in the next room. And a quirky tropical fish shop proprietor (Matt Barats) who DOES hit on her, only to callously dismiss her honest thoughts and insights over dinner.

    The best and most revealing encounter occurs when a client turns out to be Becca (Otmara Marrero), an old bud from college whose increasingly aggressive line of questioning suggests Sofia wasn’t the most dependable bestie. And Sofia all but confirms it when she begins to squirm, her speech growing more measured. Sofia also cannot suppress the feeling of inadequacy when comparing her unfulfilling existence with that of her very pregnant, wealthy and settled pal. 

     Therein rests the essence of “The Scout,” as it slowly dawns on Sofia that unlike her clients, she has no meaningful life, at least not one as purposeful as theirs. She’s little more than a chameleon, with the uncanny ability to acclimate to each client’s persona, but without a discernible identity of her own. It’s a rude awakening captured affectingly on a deserted beach in the Rockaway section of Brooklyn. She is, indeed, alone and adrift. Not so glamorous, is it?    

    It’s likely that González-Nasser experienced a similar moment of clarity. Otherwise, she might not be where she is today: a filmmaker with her own production company that allows her to call the shots and, hopefully, avoid becoming an insufferable jerk like Sofia’s self-involved superiors. Does a similar future await Sofia and the hundreds like her? One can only hope, but like much of “The Scout,” there are no answers, just observations of and reflections on a subsection of New Yorkers assessed on the aesthetics of their domiciles and possessions.

     Most of us will never open up our personal spaces to a film crew, but it’s interesting how the handful who do seem ever so willing to hand over hearth and home to people with little regard for family keepsakes, not stopping to consider that these are actual homes occupied by actual people. But like just about everything in this transactional economy, everyone has their price …No wonder Sofia feels so jaded and alone.

    And kudos to González-Nasser for mining humor out of something so inherently depressing. It’s satire at its most cunning in exposing an ever-widening disconnect between the haves and have-nots. So, next time you’re tempted to say how cool it must be…, you may want to reconsider. Cuz, believe me, it’s oftentimes not. Whereas “The Scout” most certainly IS, which is why I highly recommend it. By all means, see it in a theater, but if you can’t, catch it when it streams so, like Sofia’s clients, you can blithely invite it into your home.

Movie review

The Scout

Rated: Not rated

Cast: Mimi Davila, Lisa Haas, Rutanya Alda, Otmara Marrero, Matt Barats and Max Rosen

Director: Paula González-Nasser

Writer: Paula González-Nasser

Runtime: 89 minutes

Where: In theaters Oct. 2 (limited)

Grade: B