Mala conducta

Jennifer Connelly and Ben Wishaw both give great performances in a film that is just unfortunately too unfocused. Alice Englert (who also stars as Dylan in the film) makes her directorial debut here with a lot of style. The camerawork was very unique and interesting. The comedy at times I think works quite well and I actually think the film could have benefited from having more of it. The problem is I couldn't tell what the film wanted to be. Serious character study or comedy? It seems that she wanted both but fell short in both avenues. I think her heart was in the right place while making this and it even felt like it was probably personal to her. It's just a shame that I felt at arms length throughout the runtime and could never fully connect with the characters.

An intriguing, challenging, at times brilliant, sometimes veering off track exploration of mental health, mother/daughter relationships, finding direction and so much more. I won't pretend to have completely made my mind up about this film, or claim to have fully delved into trying to understand every aspect. It is one of those films that is due discussion, and raises questions and self reflection.

I totally understand this is definitely not a film for the majority/masses who like big blockbusters. But I think if you appreciate indie films, and those that look at personal experiences and the impact these have upon one's reactions and perception, relationships and sense of self ,then youll find there is a lot to appreciate.

Jennifer connelly is outstanding, of course. But so too are Ben Whishaw, and in particular, the actress who plays her daughter. There is much to admire and credit this film for. There are scenes that I think are incredible and it is (sorry to use this term but it is the best descriptor) brave. The characters are flawed and we constantly observe them unflinchingly. It can be uncomfortable and frustrating.

With all the above said, the 'star rating' feels inadequate, but I just feel it was a very cold watch, which at times lost its flow and almost tried too hard, too it's detriment. Saying that, it's packed with talent and despite a lot of darkness/the cold I felt, it is streaked with black humour and I'd definitely call it a 'dark comedy'.

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"Bad Behaviour boasts an all-in, powerful performance from Jennifer Connelly, but it's too messy, tonally unbalanced, and narratively all-over-the-place to connect with. It wastes too much time being nonsensical before the mother-daughter relationship gets interesting. Disappointing.

I'm unaware of how much of a personal project this is or even if it's personal at all. Still, Bad Behaviour is one of those films I just couldn't connect with in any shape or form. There's a layer of exaggeration and overdramatization that makes it all feel fictional and less grounded. And that, to me, turns into a massive obstacle to overcome. I hope others can feel the opposite."

Rating: D+

Saw this at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

"Bad Behaviour" is a story about Lucy, a former child actor, seeks enlightenment at a retreat led by spiritual leader Elon while she navigates her close yet turbulent relationship with her stunt-performer daughter, Dylan. This is Actor Alice Englert first directing feature and Englert seems to be passionate about this project from what I have seen from her Q&A session. However, the film really struggles with poor writing and really unlikeable characters.

The main narrative about a mother and daughter relationship and finding enlightenment seems interesting but unfortunately the writing takes way too long to get to the point and many elements that were included felt like filler. The film contains a great cast and the performances are really good as Jennifer Connelly does a fantastic job with her performance alongside with Ben Whishaw. There are also some great camerawork and sound designs used throughout the film. But the messy writing doesn't help the film to be interesting as the writing drags the story and makes the characters really unlikable. The main character was pretty insufferable and moments between her daughter felt undeveloped or rushed.

The dialogue moments were pretty silly, some of the lightening was really awful and distracting, and the direction was pretty messy as it's clear that Englert isn't sure if the film should be a drama or a dark comedy. There were some moments that were unintentionally hilarious as well. Englert clearly has talent on directing but this film isn't really the best feature to begin with a debut. Overall, it's one of the weaker films I had seen at Sundance.

Rating: C-

It had some really funny and heartwarming moments. There were a couple of scenes, towards the end, that felt very authentic and emotional. I think that the script brought up some lesser explored themes that I connected with. Jennifer Connelly is superb as always. I felt like the story could have been told a little bit more cohesively. But I think that Alice Englert, who also wrote and co-starred in it, did a great job for her directorial debut. Jennifer's clothing aesthetic comforted me and I will love her character for a long time. She has great comedic abilities even if she's often been typecasted to darker roles. There were some beautiful shots, especially the one at the end... that was absolutely stunning.