Miller's Girl

A more complex movie than it first appears, the acting from the entire cast was outstanding. At times I found the characters actually made me feel uncomfortable on their behalf and it took me a while to realise that this is exactly what was intended. The entire movie is a study of the emotional struggle of crossing boundaries and this required an impressive intensity from both Ortega and Freeman. In exactly the same vein, Miller's wife, played by Dagmara Dominczyk, was a masterclass in how to develop a character from superficial attractiveness into gin-soaked malignance - an outstanding performance.

I've no doubt that some will find the movie "slow" and "meandering", but if you are prepared to invest in it, the cast will repay you with a moving (and slightly terrifying!) emotional journey that will stay with you for a long time. A feat which few works can manage.

I had high hopes. From the trailer it looked interesting and aesthetically pleasing but I was very wrong. Unfortunately by the end of the movie I was left feeling frustrated because, the main thing about this movie - the tension, it was non existent.

There was no chemistry between the main protagonists. Zero. And Martin's heavy breathing in Jenna's face was very uncomfortable to watch...

Jenna on the other hand... Oh God, where do I even start?? She was so stiff the whole time it was seriously hard to watch. I don't know when this movie was filmed, but she seems stuck in her "Wednesday" role. Yes, her character is supposed to be strong, opinionated, witty, charming, seductive... But she fails to deliver any of it! She doesn't seem like clever teenage girl suddenly shaken and intrigued by an unexpected new variable in her life, at times she kinda looks bored. Her narrating was good though. But like I mentioned, the main point of the movie, the taboo of the desire and magnetism between main characters, is absolutely lacking. It's almost cringe and uncomfortable watching their scenes of "passion and attraction"...

To sum it up - good idea, poorly executed. Shame.

Honestly, this film isn't good or bad. It's meant to portray an important message to young adults and adolescents but in possibly the worse way possible and creating an abundance of controversy. Behind the obvious salacious context of the situation, it's a layered story about the characters trying to achieve emancipation through their affairs but failing to acknowledge a boundary between people, whether in power or any given scenario it can lead to detrimental consequences. Because, casting a boundary is knowing the risk being took. Other than the horrible lesson portraying I loved cinematography, felt very subtle and eerie, but still and calm. They emphasized that with all the lamps in every room possible. I live in Tennessee myself, and I come to look at it through a different perspective thanks to the euphoric atmosphere of this film. In its own way. Moving from that moment and addressing the big 50/50 question is I don't think Cairo is the villain. She's just a young human who fell for the wrong heart. Humans make mistakes and greater lessons sprout from that, as in the ending scene she was shown to forgive Miller and also grow significantly as a young adult. The lesson in the film is important for any young adult struggling with accountability. Social boundaries, self reflection. Other than that the dialogue was actually hysterical I felt like I was reading a novel by Fitzgerald because no one talks like that in their day to day life the dialogue is like their reading a screenplay. But I guess it all just emphasizes the culture of the film, it being adapted from a play of course. The accents were horrible though in my defense, I understand it takes place in Tennessee but the accents were too inconsistent and dry. Should have been left out but other than the the acting was simply flawless, enough to get me through and mesmerized in some scenes.

The final third reveals how the previous two had to be the way they were, i.e. Unfeasibly cringeworthy: almost all the characters are superficial and unlikeable and play like embarrassing tropes. The plot is peppered with cliches. HOWEVER there are layers to this story which i think are worth sticking around to realise.

The actors do a great job of growing into their roles as their lives and characters are shaped by the story. The Gothic cinematography is great.

There's kind of a teen flick going on until there isn't - the earlier scenes are awkward but gain depth. Despite the pornographic descriptions and sexual language the story is a lot more about writing than sex.

An unforeseen 7/10.

It tries to have this sexual tension between the main characters all the time. They had no chemistry, they did supposedly have reasons for pursuing each other but it wasn't depicted in a convincing manner. Sometimes I liked it, sometimes I didn't. It had the potential to be something better. The only scene I enjoyed is when Cairo lit up a cigarette in the dark, that looked like something that could've been in a horror movie. The voice narration seemed over the top and unnatural. Felt like the movie was trying too hard. The narration also reminded me of Delores from Westworld.

Jenna Ortega and Martin Freeman were okay but the movie wasn't the most captivating. It's a story that's been done before so it really needed to offer something different. But in the end feels pretty unremarkable and you'll probably forget about it as you leave the theatre. I didn't really care much about what happens with the characters and some of the conversations made me sigh and roll my eyes. I did think it was interesting where the movie took the story and shift in power dynamic between the two, but it could've been written better. Especially if you go and watch gone girl or thoroughbreds. It could've been a more captivating revenge story.