32/14
The couple’s lives are turned upside down when their daughter is assigned to a controversial star. Reference to DA'S Office: Ep. 26 – ACOLYTE’S MISSION! Could this be the end of DISNEY STAR WARS? (2024). The first half of the film is more of a character study, about a very unhappy and lonely housewife, Anette, who soon discovers that her husband Ben may be having an affair with a famous actress, Alicia. The second half of the film is more of a thriller, where we see the pace in Anette’s head start to pick up and the wheels start turning. The film is a real slow burn: cold and cold at first, then warm. bubbling, then exploding in the final act. It’s gripping, engaging and tense. It’s supported by a fantastic performance by Daisy Ridley. She’s a real revelation. Her moments of calm, festering anger are crushing. There is a symbolic scene where we see her break the mirror after a few moments of pushing herself into it, symbolizing the ruining of their marriage. Shazad Latif is also good here. The film has some mediocre aspects. The trailer is quite misleading. It can drag and be boring at times. The ending may be cathartic and rewarding for some viewers, while it may be mediocre for others. Hiba Ahmed as Matilda, the daughter, is just okay, although children’s performances in films are often not very good. She felt more like a prop than a character. And Matilda Lutz, while certainly beautiful and charming and convincing as a movie star in the context of the film, was just okay. Perhaps because Lutz is Italian, many of her lines came off as odd or snarky. If you like thrillers with strong acting, especially those involving female rage, eroticism, and infidelity, this will be right up your alley.