As John Lithgow & Olivia Colman broke hearts throughout city in “Jimpa” and theatregoers bounced to Questlove’s sophomore doc about Sly Stone, the Library theater in Park Metropolis acquired bizarre. More and more the placement that the pageant employs once they wish to present Sundance attendees one thing a bit off the crushed path, the Park Metropolis Library premiered two options that aren’t like anything in this system.
The higher of the 2 is Emilie Blichfeldt’s “The Ugly Stepsister,” a Shudder unique that makes use of the traditional story of Cinderella in ways in which Walt Disney may have by no means imagined. Impressed by David Cronenberg’s physique horror oeuvre, it’s nearly a fairy story sibling to Coralie Fargeat’s “The Substance,” a narrative of an obsessive quest for feminine perfection, the story of a poor woman put by means of absolute torture to woo a nugatory Prince Charming. As soon as it turns into clear the place it’s going, it takes slightly too lengthy to get there—there’s a tighter model that doesn’t lose the momentum that this one generally does—however it’s an undeniably vicious piece of leisure, anchored by a fearless, breathtaking efficiency from Lea Myren because the title character.
Myren performs Elvira, the oldest daughter of the merciless Rebekka (Ane Dahl Torp), who has simply married a person she presumed rich till discovering on his pre-credits loss of life that he was broke. Elvira has a quietly assured youthful sister named Alma (Flo Fagerli), and, in fact, they each have a brand new stepsister named Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss), aka Cinderella. With no cash to their identify, Rebekka positions Elvira to be the belle of the upcoming ball on the palace, hoping that she will be able to marry their household into cash. Because of this Elvira has to go a merciless ending faculty that bullies her emotionally and bodily, inserting a heavy emphasis on weight. Elvira will get a nostril job that gives an early movie warning that that is going to get unhealthy. After which there’s the tapeworm.
Along with her splendidly expressive eyes, Myren is a revelation right here, rigorously sustaining the whole tone of the piece with Blichfeldt. “The Ugly Stepsister” may have been two hours of abject torture, however Myren’s naïve hope that she would be the Princess comes by means of in each scene, permitting us to root for her as an individual as a substitute of only a system in a brutal horror movie. The approaching ball provides the movie an efficient ticking clock—we all know it’s not going to go nicely. The one query is how ugly it’s going to get. (The reply is very.)
Blichfeldt additionally will get notable assists from her craft staff, together with manufacturing design that teeters brilliantly between realism and fairy story. And DOP Marcel Zyskind (“The Lifeless Don’t Damage”) enhances the manufacturing with a glance that recollects shot-on-film European horror of the ‘70s and ‘80s.
“The Ugly Stepsister” does have a brutal inevitability that will likely be a disadvantage for some individuals. There’s one thing soul-crushing about watching poor Elvira get pushed to the brink of mortality for 2 hours, and I get that being an excessive amount of for sure viewers, together with the one on the premiere who actually vomited into the aisle. Though if you realize what you’re moving into, Myren’s efficiency and the persistently spectacular world of the movie justify the journey. In spite of everything, making an attempt to be a princess can get actually ugly.
There’s an identical “not for everybody” tone to Amanda Kramer’s “By Design,” a movie that I like for its sheer audacity greater than respect for its execution. There are some sharp concepts in “By Design” and one glorious efficiency, however it typically struggles to tie these concepts collectively in a coherent method, sporting out its welcome lengthy earlier than it’s over. After I left, I informed a colleague, “That could be a film for somebody however that somebody will not be me.” And which may sound like evading precise criticism, however I do imagine that one thing as audaciously unique as Kramer’s movie can be going to be extremely subjective. It’s like efficiency artwork or interpretative dance: Both it speaks to you, or it doesn’t. This one doesn’t fairly have sufficient to say for me.
“By Design” was launched as having considered one of Sundance’s greatest loglines, and it’s definitely an unique one. It’s a physique swap film with a chunk of furnishings. Camille (Juliette Lewis) is a girl who turns right into a chair. Sure, actually. After considered one of her weekly lunches along with her associates (Samantha Mathis, Robin Tunney – each strong), the trio goes to a retailer and Camille spots a beautiful chair. When she returns the subsequent day to purchase it, she’s knowledgeable that somebody beat her to it, after which, nicely, Camille’s soul enters the chair. Her physique stays at residence in a catatonic state that doesn’t appear to hassle her associates or her mom, who proceed to interact with the lifeless Camille as if nothing’s improper. Her soul enters the chair, which results in the condominium of a person named Olivier (Mamoudou Athie), who mainly turns into as infatuated with it as Camille.
What we possess and admire is one thing that defines us. Individuals typically really feel like they “should have one thing” in a register that’s just like needing one other human being. Kramer takes the type of sensual obsession we are able to have with objects to extremes in a movie that usually breaks into sensual dance numbers and works in a dialogue register that would precisely be known as mannered. Credit score to Kramer for locating an ensemble who may match her tone, however it’s Athie who actually elevates the manufacturing, discovering a lithe sensuality in his motion that shifts the power of the movie in a extra fascinating path that what first seems like little greater than a satire of suburban ladies.
As a lot as I like each Athie’s and Kramer’s commitments right here, my subject with “By Design” comes all the way down to momentum. It’s a chunk that feels prefer it’s pitched in the identical register from the start till very close to the top, branching off for scenes that would stand alone as efficient brief movies however don’t assist construct the tempo of this one. For instance, there’s an outstanding one with Athie at a cocktail party the place he brings his particular chair that would have been a standalone brief; whereas one other one on a balcony with Clifton Collins Jr. felt like it could by no means finish. Scenes wrestle to tie collectively and the entire piece sort of drifted away for me. It would sound tacky to say that I grew stressed in my theater chair, however it could be the reality.
