Hot Picks
|
|
|
Shirley
USA 2020
produced by Sarah Gubbins, David Hinojosa, Simon Horsman, Elisabeth Moss, Sue Naegle, Jeffrey Soros, Christine Vachon, Allison Rose Carter (executive), Cherilyn Hawrysh (executive), Martin Scorsese (executive), Alisa Tager (executive) for Killer Films, Los Angeles Media Fund
directed by Josephine Decker
starring Elisabeth Moss, Odessa Young, Michael Stuhlbarg, Logan Lerman, Victoria Pedretti, Robert Wuhl, Paul O'Brien, Orlagh Cassidy, Bisserat Tseggai, Allen McCullough, Tony Manna, Molly Fahey, Edward O'Blenis, Ryan Spahn, Vincent McCauley, Emily Decker, Kecia Lewis, Alexandria Sherman
screenplay by Sarah Gubbins, based on the novel by Susan Scarf Merrell, based on motives from the biography of Shirley Jackson, music by Tamar-kali
review by Mike Haberfelner
|
Vermont, mid 20th century: Pregnant Rose Nemser (Odessa Young) and her
husband Fred (Logan Lerman), an aspiring English professor, are offered
abode at the mansion of his sort-of mentor Stanley (Michael Stuhlbarg),
English professor and loud-mouthed literary critic, and his wife, author
Shirley Jackson (Elizabeth Moss) - a cynical and unlikeable woman who's
almost as manipulative as her husband and who suffers from severe
agoraphobia, which is why Rose is asked to look after her. At first,
Shirley thinks little of Rose, seeing nothing in her but the "good
wife" who got knocked up by her husband at an early age and now
sacrifices everything for him and their offspring-to-be. But then she
finds a report of a missing student at her husband's college, and she
pictures Rose as that student - and starts writing again, using Rose not
only as her inspiration and muse, but also as her willing accomplice, as
Rose soon does the footwork for her, investigating the story of the
missing girl. And while on the surface, there actually isn't much of a
story, Shirley proves to be quite efficient in filling in the blanks, and
during that time, her relationship with Rose deepens - also on a sexual
level. And even when Rose has given birth, Shirley proves to be
unexpectedly good with the baby. However, if Rose thinks she has found a
true friend, she learns about Shirley's manipulative side once the novel's
finished ... Now first off, this is not a bio pic, and really
has more to do with Shirley Jackson's work than with her biography - and
having said that, it's also a pretty good movie, as it's full of colourful
characters and well-executed meanness (again, as in Jackson's work), and
tells an intriguing story that has a cool forward drive to it and keeps
things interesting at all times, also helped by a very solid cast. Where
the film falls a tad flat though is in its direction, as the movie just
looks a bit too much like your typical period piece, tries too hard to
accurately portray the era in almost every frame, while sometimes artistic
license would have gone much further. But that's not something that hurts
the movie as a whole and more shows hidden potential.
|
|
|