Good Posture

Mortimer's Julia and Grace Van Patten's Lilian are at daggers drawn the second they set eyes on each other, an antipathy that only heightens once Julia insists that her houseguest should start earning her keep. Gradually, though, their frosty relationship, largely conducted through notes penned in Lilian's private diary, begins to thaw, a softening that happens in tandem with Lilian's own stumbling towards maturity. Written and directed by Mortimer's friend and Doll & Em collaborator, Dolly Wells, Good Posture is a slight but affecting yarn that cleverly makes you root for outwardly unsympathetic antagonists. Along the way it amusingly punctures the publishing world's precocity, Lilian's self-serving decision to make a documentary about Mortimer's "Miss Havisham" prompting hilariously po-faced contributions from Martin Amis and Zadie Smith, as well as a downright dotty one from a dancing Jonathan Ames. The insularity and selfabsorption of the drama's upscale milieu won't be for everyone. Yet those who give it a chance might be surprised how touched they are by a film that's both a love letter to New York and a spry salute to sisterhood.

I had no prior knowledge of this film when I started watching it so I became incredibly bored after 15 minutes and turned it off. I started it again a few weeks later., and watched another 15 minutes before becoming bored again. A month later I watched the rest of it and could not help thinking: Emily Mortimer must have been desperate to put her name to this; John Early made the 'most irritating man in the world' seem really easy; Grace van Patten shines as she always does despite being in a very unshiny film; and I feel nothing, absolutely nothing at all, nothing whatsoever having watched the credits roll up, except a faint tinge of 'what else could I have done with my time tonight?' Those who like self congratulatory, pretentious, pseudo art films will love it.

It always fascinates me when there is a discrepancy between 'user' ratings and the critics. I don't know why people are unimpressed by this film. It is an original and surprising sort of urban New York 'coming of age' story, with very good performances, subtle humour and Austen like irony. The plotting is brilliant, but above all else it is kind and humane; kind to its characters and really quite profound in its humanity, without ever once losing its indie lightness of touch.

Script has an early draft feel about it, with a lot being done for effect without really making sense.

At best, it's one of those regular negative exemplar warnings for would-be Baumbachs and Gerwigs, and fetishists of '70s Woody Allen. Turns out that a gentrified boho setting, attractive but dysfunctional intellectuals, a quirky folk soundtrack and a ukulele aren't going to be enough to make your movie. One might further venture that if touchingly realist character studies are your ideal, you might have spent a lot more time trying to understand the characters you decided to depict and a hell of a lot more making their interactions feel unique, plausible, motivated and meaningful.

Lilian is a young adult in New York city. Her mother is simply missing, her dad has a girlfriend in Paris, he doesn't seem very dedicated to keep up communications with Lilian. But he does provide financial support, when she needs money. She is currently sharing a place with a boyfriend. She seems very bright but totally unmotivated.

When the boyfriend situation turns sour her dad arranges that she can go down the street to stay at the home of a well-known lady author. Her most recent book was "good Posture", thus the title of this movie. The lady is reclusive, spending most of her time in her room upstairs, writing. Or so it appears. Maybe she just has writer's block? She sees what is happening with Lilian, calls her an "entitled oaf."

I don't rate this movie highly, but I enjoyed it for what it is. Sort of a "coming of age" for Lilian, figuring out that you can't just expect that others will care for you, you have to get some enthusiasm for something then work hard at it. That's just the way life is.

Streaming on Peacock.