The Hottest State

Based on his novel, Ethan Hawke’s The Hottest State is a sporadically effective but mostly overwrought look at the relationship that forms between a pair of relatively unlikable characters. Aaron Webber stars as William Harding, a struggling actor who finds himself falling hard for a local musician named Sarah (Catalina Sandino Moreno) – though it quickly becomes clear that Sarah does not share his feelings. Writer/director Hawke is clearly going for a gritty, John Cassavetes sort of vibe, and on that level he generally succeeds. With its jittery camerawork and distinctly avant-garde editing choices, The Hottest State often comes off as a prototypically rough-around-the-edges low-budget effort. And although Webber delivers a dynamic, exciting performance, Moreno doesn’t fare quite as well; trapped within the confines of a thoroughly obnoxious and flat-out irritating character, the actress comes off as stiff and unconvincing (her tenuous grasp on the English language probably doesn’t help matters). Laura Linney pops up late in the film as William’s mother and briefly injects the proceedings with some much-needed life, but it’s virtually impossible to actually care by then.

** out of ****