Now You Can See What Tomorrow Looks Like
You haven’t seen the Martha Pinson film Tomorrow yet but the very moment it’s released, you should. Two very prominent names behind creating this feature film are executive producer Martin Scorsese and the aforementioned Pinson. They share a long history together prior to their work on Tomorrow. Before this directorial debut for Pinson, she served as script supervisor for some of the industry’s biggest names including: Scorsese, Sidney Lumet, Milos Forman, Oliver Stone and Brian De Palma. Known for her work on Hugo (winner of five Oscars), Shutter Island (starring Leonardo DiCaprio), The Departed (four Oscar wins), The Aviator (five time Oscar winner), and Wall Street (Oscar Winner), Martha’s first time directorial project has already accumulated seven awards in its pre-release festival run, including several for Best Narrative Feature. It’s clear that she knows a story that could translate into an exceptional film and Tomorrow proves it.
This 2018 British drama depicts the difficulty of soldiers returning to “normal” society after being in war. What is initially most striking about this film is that, while it gives the due gravity to the subject of war, it doesn’t define veterans solely by it. The main character, a former British military man named Tesla, is presented as multi-dimensional with romantic aspirations and career goals in the private sector. He has returned to London after serving in Afghanistan in a depressed state. When he meets the gregarious Sky, their friendship is a catalyst for a new peer group and perspective on his future. Through Sky, Tesla meets and falls in love with Katie. The couple make plans to start a restaurant together if they can obtain proper financing. While there is a progression to these events, the message of the film is firmly rooted in the relationships of Tesla and his new inner circle. Near the end of the film we discover that Sky has been concealing a secret; one which illustrates that we all have obstacles in our lives but we can choose to define ourselves by our efforts rather than by our circumstances.
Martha Pinson conducted an extensive search of DPs for Tomorrow. Conducting international interviews via Skype, she eventually offered the position to Darran Bragg. Convinced by his previous work that he understood the proper emotional beat and classic look she required, Pinson crafted the visual approach with him. While the majority of the film was shot in London, the Afghanistan scenes (actually filmed in Spain) required a vastly different tactic. Describing a major scene in which Tesla receives his injuries, the cinematographer relates, “All of the London scenes had been shot with prime lenses but we wanted to give this sequence a more realistic feel with a heightened sense of tension, so we decided to use zoom lenses that I could operate during the take; reframing tighter and wider as the action unfolded. Much of this action was staged on the ground as Tesla and his friend Reg crawled around, giving me the opportunity to shoot low across a dusty road, with the dirt and debris that was generated getting backlit by the sun.”
Tomorrow is a story about the life of a soldier but equally, it is a “coming of age” story. It’s about a group of people in their twenties undertaking the path to creating their future and leaving the past behind. Their aspirations for happiness in the face of extremely difficult circumstances allows for the weight of life to be felt but not to be defeating. A returning solider, a young entrepreneur, a struggling artist, and an enigmatic figure with a well-kept secret discover that by coming together they can overcome their individual problems and make a better life for all. These universal themes have an uplifting message of friendship, love and courage.
