Lilli Keeve
“One thing that I like about your generation is that you have no sense of time.”
Drawing from personal experiences as a location scout for television and movies, Paula González-Nasser’s feature debut The Scout is deeply rooted in realism. It explores the nuances of human relationships in an ever-evolving modern society. Mimi Davila (known for her voice work on Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) plays Sofia, the primary scout for a murder-mystery television pilot shooting in New York. The film adopts a fly-on-the-wall perspective, following Sofia through her stressful routine of taking phone calls, scouting and securing locations, meeting people, and photographing their homes, all while balancing her frenzied employer’s requests.
On Sofia’s scouting adventures, we witness compelling glimpses into people’s private lives and the spaces they inhabit. González-Nasser, along with DOP Nicola Newton’s restrained, intentional cinematography, crafts shots flooded with naturalistic lighting and a heavy emphasis on negative space (Sofia is rarely the center of a composition). Even the dialogue resembles real-life conversations, with characters from different walks of life and the impact of their surrounding environment. At times, these encounters are awkward, endearing, and maybe a bit off-putting, and Sofia graciously attempts to maintain small talk while she simultaneously fulfills her job’s requirements. Running around the concrete jungle, Sofia deals with parking tickets, navigates traffic and bustling city streets, and other minor inconveniences that pop up without warning. Scouting is far from glamorous, and González-Nasser’s film sheds light on the stressors and uncertainties that come with the territory.
An intriguing element of being a location scout is how unpredictable it can be. During Sofia’s chaotic day, she receives a phone call from a friend she knew in high school, Becca (Otmara Marrero), who saw her information on one of the filming flyers. Sofia tours Becca’s beautiful Brooklyn apartment and catches up with her; some uncomfortable topics from the past come up, which Sofia dismisses and would rather not discuss. Sofia is still trying to find her own way, and observing Becca’s lifestyle makes her feel small and insignificant. She doesn’t seem satisfied with her work and doesn’t have a solid foundation; a quiet yet bubbling internal crisis that González-Nasser exquisitely encapsulates. Davila’s performance is truly outstanding, and she conveys a mountain of emotions without speaking. The interaction also exemplifies how people change and time distorts memories.
From a storytelling standpoint, The Scout lacks a plot or distinct narrative drive, but that’s not necessarily warranted in this style of filmmaking. There’s a Slacker-esque sensibility; the film takes its time building Sofia’s isolated existence, positioning an underlying commentary on urban anxieties and gentrification (i.e., a hipster-style coffee shop with a snobby barista who doesn’t make eye contact), culminating in her own inner dilemmas about her place in life and lack of direction. She possesses hopes and dreams, yet they have been quelled in the name of growing up and being responsible. A transient, fleeting nature is present during every exchange, and any chance of meaningful connection is thwarted, fading quickly into the noisy city background. Another topic lightly touched on is the safety dangers female scouts face (and the lack of female location scouts in the industry), which remains heavily male-dominated. However, that mindset has shifted more recently, and there’s been greater advocacy for supporting female scouts in the field and providing resources.
The Scout is a unique display of a subject that rarely receives the attention it deserves. Paula González-Nasser’s debut is polished, intriguing, and proves a self-assuredness rare among filmmakers early in their careers. She masterfully captures a young professional attempting to figure out what she wants, who she is, and where she will go next. Nevertheless, if we must go to the ocean and stare endlessly into the abyss…we should.
