Maybe you choose to enjoy life and don't spend too much time on the internet and have somehow escaped all of the drama surrounding the new film "Don't Worry Darling." There have been rumors of on-set feuds, a highly publicized romance that bloomed on set, a battle of words over if someone was fired or if they quit and, of course, the ridiculous rumor that one star spat on another at the Venice Film Festival premiere of the movie, where the reviews of the film were mostly negative. All of the online drama might be worth a meme cycle or two, but fret not, darling, the movie is still worth seeing.
Olivia Wilde's sophomore outing as a director is an ambitious follow-up to her tremendous debut "Booksmart," which was one of the best films of 2019. The high school comedy got just about everything right, from being hilarious to heartfelt and giving every character a modicum of agency. "Don't Worry Darling" is a major shift for Wilde, where she is more eager to operate on a bigger scale and demonstrate her ability to handle larger sets. She achieves that.
The movie is set in 1950s California, where everything is picture-perfect for the small community the movie takes place in. The crisp golden sun shines through the palm trees, the men go to work every day in perfect unison, while their wives wave goodbye from the front lawn. Alice (Florence Pugh) spends her days taking care of the house, going to ballet class, and eagerly greeting her husband Jack (Harry Styles) with a drink when he returns home from his work on the Victory Project, which remains hush-hush within the community. The Victory Project is run by Frank (Chris Pine), who, along with his wife Shelley (Gemma Chan), seem to keep the community running.
Everything seems perfect, but whose definition of perfect are they using? Alice begins to question the alleged utopia she lives in and starts asking questions that aren't meant to be answered. Even the local gossip, Bunny (Wilde), doesn't want to get involved with Alice's curiosities. The women are simply supposed to stay out of their husband's business.
Where "Don't Worry Darling" ultimately lands isn't as satisfying as the process of getting there. The screenplay by Katie Silberman (who wrote "Booksmart" and the lovely Netflix romantic comedy "Set it Up") doesn't thoroughly flesh out the final act, and revelations feel dropped in, rather than organically intertwined with the rest of the movie. It takes some of the air out of the film, but leading up to then is thrilling and entertaining in equal measure.
Pugh was put on people's radar with her performance in "Lady Macbeth," and she broke out in a big way in 2019 with "Midsommar" and her Oscar-nominated turn in "Little Women." She has gone on to join the Marvel universe with "Black Widow" and is currently shooting the sequel to "Dune." She's one of the most in-demand stars working today, and her commanding performance in "Don't Worry Darling" shows why directors want to work with her. She is able to navigate different genres with great ease. Against Pugh's ferocity, Styles may seem unpolished in some scenes as he transitions into acting (he had a supporting role in Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" and leads the upcoming "My Policeman"). Even if Pugh takes charge of every scene they're in together, Styles is a solid fit for Jack, bringing to the role the charisma that has helped make him a global superstar.
Wilde was never going to receive the acclaim for "Don't Worry Darling" that she got for "Booksmart." Her first film followed the all-night party formula, but somehow managed to make it feel like a breath of fresh air. "Don't Worry Darling" has many imperfections, but it shows that Wilde can do more than indie comedies, and that she is willing to take on daunting projects. Her new movie is gorgeously shot (by cinematographer Matthew Libatique), intriguing, and tense. That's no sophomore slump.
Don't Worry Darling Movie Review By Matthew Passantino
0 comments:
Post a Comment