Redemption more than revenge. A heart wrenching portrayal by an ensemble cast of a lesser recognized tragedy known as survivor's guilt.
Phenomenal performance from Carey Mulligan, which should be nothing less than expected. Bo Burnham in one of his more serious roles is likewise excellent. "More" being the key word, because his sense of humor is what makes his character so endearing.
Where to begin? Starting with the "checking up on the drunk girl but really taking advantage" trope, walking away the next morning with red donut filling dripping down her arm, obviously a play on blood. The expertly matched soundtrack in minor and pivotal scenes alike. Dean Walker's psychological punishment scene in her office, revealing how different something appears when it is applied to a loved one versus a stranger. The lawyer scene where Cassandra might as well symbolize the Virgin Mary, an exemplary showcase of the fact that most things are forgivable, given true remorse. Gail's enviable friendship and support to the vulnerable Cassandra and the engaging banter the two have. The appealing pop of color palette and set design in both the coffee shop and her home- particularly when Madison pays her a visit. The hairstyles and costume choices throughout, most notably Cassandra's nurse costume for the climactic bachelor party with the bubblegum neon colored wig, of course perfectly matched with actual bubblegum. The symbolic and literal importance Cassandra and Nina's heart friendship necklaces play as they bring the film to its gratifying close.
Difficult choice, but Bo Burnham singing "Stars Are Blind" by Paris Hilton while playfully flirting with Carey Mulligan is probably the funnest scene, but even more so, the most anguishing, given the final realizations Cassandra- us as the audience through her- must come to terms with. Because watching that scene, Bo Burnham was the current reigning dream boyfriend in my book, Mark Ruffalo in "13 Going On 30" some serious competition.
That is, until the eleventh hour. My heart was torn to learn the truth about him, watching Ryan scramble to further cover up as he was confronted, then to finally turn from defensive to selfish pretend remorse, to giving up and lashing out at Cassandra. Alas, everyone makes mistakes, but the important thing is to feel remorse and learn from them and become better, which I so wanted to believe Ryan did. But then he kept letting the opportunities to truly show his remorse slip by. Yes, in the many years since medical school. Yes, even in the current time he spends with Cassandra. Alas, had he only ended his friendship with the guys; had he only had the guts to confess to this girl he claimed he was falling in love with; had he only come clean when the detective came to see him; had he only said something at the wedding!
The fact that long after the credits roll, we are tempted to rationalize Ryan's actions are not only a testament to Burnham's acting, Fennell's casting, directing, and writing, but also to the very real "nice guy" fallacy we do not recognize enough; the idea that the person timid enough to hide behind inaction might be deemed as bad and egregious as the person bold enough to do the crime, as much as our brains and society try to tell us otherwise.
Ending orchestrated beautifully. Enough hints to keep viewers on the edge, but the main twist was still unexpected. Poetic ending that leaves us feeling charged, even though it isn't what one would imagine it to be. No fairy tale ending here, but practically as satisfying.
Phenomenal performance from Carey Mulligan, which should be nothing less than expected. Bo Burnham in one of his more serious roles is likewise excellent. "More" being the key word, because his sense of humor is what makes his character so endearing.
Where to begin? Starting with the "checking up on the drunk girl but really taking advantage" trope, walking away the next morning with red donut filling dripping down her arm, obviously a play on blood. The expertly matched soundtrack in minor and pivotal scenes alike. Dean Walker's psychological punishment scene in her office, revealing how different something appears when it is applied to a loved one versus a stranger. The lawyer scene where Cassandra might as well symbolize the Virgin Mary, an exemplary showcase of the fact that most things are forgivable, given true remorse. Gail's enviable friendship and support to the vulnerable Cassandra and the engaging banter the two have. The appealing pop of color palette and set design in both the coffee shop and her home- particularly when Madison pays her a visit. The hairstyles and costume choices throughout, most notably Cassandra's nurse costume for the climactic bachelor party with the bubblegum neon colored wig, of course perfectly matched with actual bubblegum. The symbolic and literal importance Cassandra and Nina's heart friendship necklaces play as they bring the film to its gratifying close.
Difficult choice, but Bo Burnham singing "Stars Are Blind" by Paris Hilton while playfully flirting with Carey Mulligan is probably the funnest scene, but even more so, the most anguishing, given the final realizations Cassandra- us as the audience through her- must come to terms with. Because watching that scene, Bo Burnham was the current reigning dream boyfriend in my book, Mark Ruffalo in "13 Going On 30" some serious competition.
That is, until the eleventh hour. My heart was torn to learn the truth about him, watching Ryan scramble to further cover up as he was confronted, then to finally turn from defensive to selfish pretend remorse, to giving up and lashing out at Cassandra. Alas, everyone makes mistakes, but the important thing is to feel remorse and learn from them and become better, which I so wanted to believe Ryan did. But then he kept letting the opportunities to truly show his remorse slip by. Yes, in the many years since medical school. Yes, even in the current time he spends with Cassandra. Alas, had he only ended his friendship with the guys; had he only had the guts to confess to this girl he claimed he was falling in love with; had he only come clean when the detective came to see him; had he only said something at the wedding!
The fact that long after the credits roll, we are tempted to rationalize Ryan's actions are not only a testament to Burnham's acting, Fennell's casting, directing, and writing, but also to the very real "nice guy" fallacy we do not recognize enough; the idea that the person timid enough to hide behind inaction might be deemed as bad and egregious as the person bold enough to do the crime, as much as our brains and society try to tell us otherwise.
Ending orchestrated beautifully. Enough hints to keep viewers on the edge, but the main twist was still unexpected. Poetic ending that leaves us feeling charged, even though it isn't what one would imagine it to be. No fairy tale ending here, but practically as satisfying.