Animals

So I get the point of this movie ,, girl gotta be her own self .. If she wants to be someone she's trying to be she should not be depending on a husband or a friend or whatever ... I mean cool idea .. not original though ,, didn't read the book ,, but I watched an interview once for Emma Jane Unsworth (the writer of ANIMALS the book) and she kinda gave a clear idea that she wants an all girl movie just because girl power ... which is amazing, don't get me wrong.. but apparently the book itself isn't that strong for this ...

The cast were okay though,, I like Alia Shawkat, she's like 30 now but she still has that funny quirky overstepping girl kinda vibes and she had a good back and forth with Holliday Grainger ,, anyway, the script, hence the book, didn't help but still the whole cast tried.

Anyway, this is not a good choice for a family movie night ,, but If you feel like there's literally nothing to watch ,, try to find some old DVDs you have or something, and if you couldn't then Aaah what the heck, you can watch it , who know's you might not hate it.

'Animals (2019)' tells the unconventional coming-of-age of two party animals forced to face reality when one of them gets engaged. This strains their strong, ten-year-long friendship and causes both to question their lifestyles, in their own ways. The often-inebriated pair seem to sleepwalk through the day and come alive at night, taking copious amounts of drugs (both legal and not so legal), staying out all night and sleeping with strangers - all under the pretence of 'rallying against the system'. Grainger's writer's-block-ridden aspiring-novelist seems to purposefully seek a catalyst for change after realising a large portion of her life has passed her by, whereas Shawkat's no-aspirations barista seems to constantly lament the very concept. This push and pull forms the basis for film's dramatic underpinning, leading to a grounded and rather nuanced story of self-actualisation - or the struggle for it, at least. While it does conform to the conventions of its genre, it feels actually incredibly natural; in the moment, all sense of it being a movie falls away in favour of a far more realistic feel. This is, in large part, thanks to the imperfections of pretty much every core player. The two leads, especially, are presented not as 'likeable' but as 'honest', making them all the more empathetic. It all appears quite effortless but it's actually the result of a fantastic screenplay. Of course, this is brought to life by equally brilliant performances, assured direction and often-inspired cinematography. The movie starts off a little slow but it soon settles into its own pace and becomes extremely engaging. It weaves relatable themes into a plot peppered with situations of all differing sorts - whether they be funny, charming, saddening or frustrating - and a central relationship that's as compelling a pairing as we've seen all year. It's bold, vital and, most importantly, enjoyable. 7/10

The film is well done and the acting is excellent. The whole thing is very believable. The issue is the story. It a free wheeling pair of best girlfriends drinking and sexing their lives away in a continuous party at night. Then, one of them falls a bit for a guy and the other can't take it. You'd think lesbianism but it is not a consumed one, apparently. The cheery beginning full of promises turn into jadedness. I see this film as a cautionary tale of a death spiral about to commence.

This film was supposed to be about the relationship between Laura and Tyler. It's a special friendship but there's dangerous side. Unfortunately the film wanders way off course and the last third of the film explores Laura cheating on her fiance. Is she doing this (subconciously) so she can stay with Tyler? Didn't come across that way. I think the screenwriter urgently needed to sit down and cut a lot out of the movie and focus on what it was really about. Basically we needed more Tyler.

We also urgently needed to see these characters at their day jobs. Laura says she's a waitress (I think). We needed to see her struggling through an awful hungover day. Or being fired for showing up late. We see them drinking through the week but there's not much flipside. There's no consequences.

Probably the most glaring oddity is the scene where Tyler (apparently) steals a jar of unspecified drugs (MDMA crystals? methamphetamine?). It's a truly hefty quantity presumably worth many thousands of euros. How did they get away with this? Why isn't there someone hunting for it?

Heartwarming, funny and sad all at different times the film was a real blast for the majority although felt was around 20 minutes to long towards the end it did drag a little and the humour began to wear off. Overall still worth a watch and Holliday Grainger in particular was fantastic.