The Women Directors Hall of Fame

Usually i start my reviews with a general i liked, loved, disliked, hated this, then i explain why but i honestly don't know yet think i need to let this fester. I know i didn't dislike it, i didn't have a bad time watching it but i'm not sure how much i liked it yet and there was some things i wasn't a fan of. Whatever i think this absolutely wasn't what i was expecting which was a great thing. Cricket said "yeah i thought it would be a 80 minute Rom-Com", same here. Actually agree with everything he has said, i expected this to be a simple i found this funny and/or powerful so i liked it or vice-versa type of deal and it wasn't at all.

I kinda think i should have hated the dialogue here. Stuff like Williams "scared of getting from plane to plane" thing near the start was horrific, it's not how people talk anywhere ever and you don't meaningfully open up to a stranger that way without the slightest prodding. Seriously it would be like me asking someone i just mets name and them fitting in the fact their brother is in prison in their answer I'm guessing Polley was going for a general she had to get it out sort of thing and she was already intrigued by him and comfortable around him but i didn't get that by that point so it was just ridiculous. Still despite that it was charmingly and believably delivered by Williams. Williams is one of the best working actors, i don't think alot of this would have worked without her talent. I mean that scene was obviously important and i think if it wasn't for Williams that one exchange could have sunk the whole movie for me. When it didn't come from her i had a harder time swallowing it. Luke Kirby's "what are you going to do with me now you've got me?" thing for example. I kind of respect that this film didn't dance around the fact these two are interested in each other, but they went too far in the other direction to be believable IMO in that Daniel seemed oddly forceful with how straightforward he was. I couldn't accept Margot being interested in him alot of the time, or at least still being interested in him after things like that. The fact that she isn't happy in her marriage isn't sufficient enough reason for me to believe she would become interested in a specific person, you need to believably build their relationship and Daniel and some of the dialogue held it back for me. There's nothing to say someone couldn't be attracted to and interested in stuff like that so that's fine, but for me to accept it i need to find it probable and for this specific story i'd need to enjoy them together to an extent, sometimes i didn't and the times i did was thanks to Williams. Too be fair it's probably just my general dislike of person stuck in boring life intrigued by someone dangerous or wild seeming stories, and i think this tried to dress this up as something else when that's what it felt like to me. Obviously Daniel wasn't "wild or dangerous" but he was certainly alot different from the people she was usually with especially her husband, he got genuine reactions from her and wasn't afraid of being provocative or combatative and of course he's not the least bit hesitant in pursuing her despite being married. Once it actually became a thing i accepted it more and i liked that it ended up pretty damn dark and depressing. I actually liked the sex montage alot, how it showed it start off exciting and transform into a similar mundanity as her relationship with Lou. An obvious thing to do but i still think it was well done.

What i will say is the mundanity of her life was done extremely well, it was believable that she wasn't happy with it. Even when i wasn't enjoying her stuff with Daniel it was at least interesting, her early scenes with Lou were so dull and forgettable which i'm sure was intentional, i wanted her to get back to Daniel as at least it wasn't boring. That's a big reason why i'm so conflicted on this; i basically had the same feelings as Margot. It was brave to do the early stuff with Lou that way. It was all the same three scenes; one of them in bed, one of them in the bathroom then one of him cooking with her in the kitchen with him. Both of them constantly playing around and telling each other they loved each other, like they were trying to force happiness by overselling it. I was part of this boring cycle and i felt it.

My biggest surprise was the size of Seth Rogen's role. He's barely in it for like the first hour, i was expecting a rom-com of those two getting together. One thing we all seem to agree on is that Seth's character was likeable, how could he not be? I think Seth barely acts he's the same in every film and in interviews and he is so likeable at all times even when his character is supposed to be an a-hole. Then his character is being cheated on, no work was done on Polley's part there. Casting Seth Rogen for that role was like a cheatcode in getting her desired effect haha. Seems like you guys all hated Margot. I get it, if i was to read a description of her character and actions i'd hate her but it's Michelle Williams. I wouldn't say i liked her especially as it went on but i'd be lying if i said i truly disliked her. Maybe that was a fault in her performance if the intention was to make me dislike her, but even if it was i'd still call this a good performance for selling dialogue i disliked so well that i mentioned earlier. I'm being ridiculous here because her actions were just as bad if not worse than his but i disliked Daniel more. Daniel mentioning Lou's chicken the first time they met pissed me right off haha. All we've seem him do up to that point is make chicken, he has a better relationship with his chicken recipe than his wife who you are stealing lets not twist the knife buddy. Then again i kind of sympathised with him a few times, Cricket pointed out that he had no friends or family of his own and i definitely felt for him a bit when he was sitting watching Lou's party he just looked so envious and lonely, of course Lou has to go ahead and invite him haha. Seriously i can't make my mind up with this film. Wasn't a big fan of Silverman. She seems pretty polarizing in general but i do like her in interviews and stuff so i was surprised there. My main deal with her was dialogue related again like what she was saying in the shower scene perfectly fit everything about Margot's situation at that moment, glad Polley focused on Margot looking uncomfortable during every second of that scene or i would have never gotten what she was going for haha. Seemed inauthentic and too "perfect" to me, i never react well to something done that blatantly. It was also that Silverman's character seemed to be half joking and just making conversation yet everything she was saying was what was on Margot's mind constantly at that point. I did like her more at her scene more at the end. What i liked was she spotted Daniel intently following Margot at the party earlier, clearly she was the first to catch onto what was happening and i think that played into her anger as well as the obvious reasons. One of my main complaints here has been some of it was blatant, i actually think Silverman spotting them was more subtle and forgettable. Or maybe i'm just reading too much into a brief look haha.

So in the end i'm not quite sure what i thought yet, as i said i didn't dislike it but i can't tell how much i liked it. I complained a hell of alot here i know but i think that was a positive in that this is supposed to be provocative and it did provoke reactions for me, i'm also conflicted on a fair amount of it. At the very least i'm impressed as this did feel different and it avoided most of the cliche's in these types of film; if this even fits into a "type". I mean alot of my complaints are redundant by the end since what i was feeling was right all along and that's so frustrating Reading Citizen, Thursday and Crickets reviews i realized i agree with them all on parts and disagree with them on others showing this is at least an interesting film as everyone had different feelings on it. Good nom Sean.

Thumbelina is art. Catcher in the Rye is just mean-spirited garbage littered with "the F word!".

Hilarious. The plot is a very original and interesting, considering the stage we're in where the left is getting many negative connotations due to the misandrists who claim to be "feminists". Each of the main characters bring a new element of comedy to the table (I seriously did not intend that pun!). Many quotable lines. Not for a single second did the film feel boring or tedious.

Whether you're a safe-space liberal or a Mexican-hating republican, you're sure to get a good laugh out of this. Absolutely brilliant nom Siddon!