"Promising Young Woman," the bold debut by Emerald Fennell, premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival in January, which seems like a lifetime ago. In 2020 time it is, but it's also a long time for a movie to sustain buzz and not have any of its intricacies and surprises leak out, spoiling the movie for the rest of us. Having attended Sundance twice, I can confirm it's often hard to sit on a movie that you want to talk about. Having said that, this review will be short and vague, because one of the many pleasures of "Promising Young Woman" is going on its unexpected journey.
Carey Mulligan stars as Cassie. As the movie opens, she is at a bar, being objectified from afar by three guys who think Cassie is completely wasted. One of them, Jerry (Adam Brody), goes over to her and asks her if she's alright. She's barely sitting up and slurring, so Jerry decides to help her home - but not without making a stop at his apartment first for a quick drink. He begins to take advantage of her, but to Jerry's surprise Cassie is completely sober, and he has been caught actively taking advantage of a woman he believed to be drunk. This is a weekly ritual for Cassie, and due to an event from her past we find out what is motivating her to go out and find the scumbag men who prey on women in bars.
Cassie previously dropped out of med school and now works at a coffee shop managed by Gail (Laverne Cox). One day Ryan (Bo Burnham) comes in and orders a coffee, and after a few moments he recognizes Cassie as a former med school classmate. Cassie is hesitant to spend time with anyone from her past, but she eventually decides to start seeing Ryan, possibly restoring her faith in other men.
One of the many great things about "Promising Young Woman" is its paradoxical appearance. The movie serves up heavy topics and triggering subjects in a bubblegum wrapping, but the bright pinks and bubbly aesthetics never take away from the serious subject at hand. Director Fennell walks a tricky tightrope tonally, which will work for some and not for others. It's a balancing act, but she pulls it off.
Mulligan has long been a great actress, often starring in movies that rarely make any kind of imprint. She garnered an Oscar nomination for her breakout role in "An Education" and has continually done strong work in movies like "Never Let Me Go," "Shame," and 2018's terrific "Wildlife," where, at the time, she gave the performance of her career. Mulligan ups the ante in "Promising Young Woman," delivering a performance that requires her to modulate from scene-to-scene. It's a performance brimming with anger and pathos, vulnerability and confidence. It's one of the great screen performances of the year.
Fennell, a former show runner on "Killing Eve," is adept at navigating dark materials with a bit of a light touch. As a director she has a keen eye for pacing, moving her film along like a thriller without ever cheapening the material. There are moments in her screenplay that ring a bit too convenient in the world of the movie, but for any point that might feel contrived, she balances it with something far more daring. I've had the privilege of seeing this movie three times, and what's remarkable about each viewing is how fresh and new it feels each time. To paraphrase Roger Ebert, that's the sign of a great film.
"Promising Young Woman" will be in theaters started 2020 December 25.
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