A psychopath watching William Oldroyd’s deliciously deranged “Eileen,” based on the book by Ottessa Moshfegh, might simply see in it an uplifting tale of personal liberation. Afte…
) goes from being a dowdy, downtrodden compulsive masturbator — we watch her rub herself surreptitiously under her tweed skirt on two separate occasions in the first few minutes — to an independent young woman of decisive action and agency, facing her future in a fur coat topped with a lipstick smile.
His daughter, he asserts, with a casual cruelty typical of even their tenderest encounters, is one of the latter. But what about when a lifelong space-filler, to whom no one has ever paid much attention, and whose eccentricities have thus been nourished into full-blown perversions without anyone much noticing, suddenly decides to become a move-maker? Perhaps “Eileen” is what happens when a disregarded background extra thrusts herself into the spotlight role in her own life.
The parallels with Todd Haynes’ “Carol” are so obvious they are almost self-conscious — but if the films have their similarities as December-centric tales of lesbian attraction springing up between a withdrawn younger brunette and a worldly older blonde, Oldroyd replaces the velvety warmth of Haynes’ movie with a shabby, tawdry, chilly edge, present in everything from the production design to Ari Wegner’s magnificently watchful camerawork.
Rebecca’s investigation into Polk’s case takes a sinister and frankly unprofessional turn, and she calls on Eileen to help her out, unaware that the mousy little thing she befriended is hardly the innocent, pliable tool she has presumed her to be. Part of the thrill of “Eileen” is the blackly comedic shift in the power balance between the two women, as exceptionally played by Hathaway and McKenzie, both turning in career-high performances.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘Eileen’ Review: Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie Burn Up the Screen in Supremely Stylish Psychological ThrillerDirector William Oldroyd follows ‘Lady Macbeth’ with another dizzying plunge into the complex female psyche, also featuring Shea Whigham and Marin Ireland.
Read more »
Anne Hathaway says Eileen is one of her favorite projects to dateAnne Hathaway would still be this excited for Ottessa Moshfegh's Eileen even if she wasn't in it
Read more »
Anne Hathaway Found The ‘Eileen’ Script “Really Challenging, Really Dark” & “Unusually Smart” – Sundance StudioAhead of the premiere of the William Oldroyd-directed film Eileen at the Sundance Film Festival, Anne Hathaway revealed it took her a moment to get comfortable with the script before taking on the …
Read more »
Anne Hathaway’s Dark, Fiery ‘Eileen’ Is Shocking Sundance'Hathaway is dazzling in these early passages. Her larger-than-life poise and cool invigorates 'Eileen,' just as it wows the film’s title character,' writes nschager
Read more »
First 'Eileen' Images Show Anne Hathaway & Thomasin McKenzie in New ThrillerNew images from Eileen show Anne Hathaway and Thomasin Mckenzie in a retro thriller.
Read more »
‘Eileen’ Sundance Film Review: This Is What Happens When Female Loneliness And Rage CollideEileen, directed by William Oldroyd, and written by Ottessa Moshfegh, and Luke Goebel, which is based on Moshfegh’s book of the same name. The film stars Thomasin Mackenzie, Anne Hathaway, and Shea…
Read more »