Madeline's Madeline (2018)

A theatre director's latest project takes on a life of its own when her young star takes her performance too seriously.

Director:

Josephine Decker

Writers:

Josephine Decker, Gail Segal (story consultant)

Stars:

Helena Howard, Molly Parker, Miranda July

5 wins & 29 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Helena Howard	...	Madeline
Miranda July	...	Regina
Molly Parker	...	Evangeline
Okwui Okpokwasili	...	Nurse, KK
Sunita Mani	...	Assistant Max
Felipe Bonilla	...	Santos, Cousin Elmer
Lisa Tharps	...	Laura
Curtiss Cook	...	George
Reynaldo Piniella	...	Jaime
Myra Lucretia Taylor	...	Kaila
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jamal Batts	...	Jamal
Blake Baumgartner	...	Mariana
Julee Cerda	...	Carrie
Isolde Chae-Lawrence	...	Costume Designer at Photo Shoot
Eston Clare Jr.	...	Dean

Storyline

A theatre director's latest project takes on a life of its own when her young star takes her performance too seriously.

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Plot Keywords:

rehearsal | mental illness | pregnant woman | character name in title | experimental theater | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [United Kingdom] Official site [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

Movie No. 1

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,009, 12 August 2018, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$183,537, 4 October 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parris Pictures, Forager Films, Bow and Arrow Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Nurse, KK: The emotions you are having are not your own. They are someone else's. You are not the cat. You are inside the cat.

User Reviews

Mental Illness

Movies about mental illness are a dime a dozen, and it's hard to find one that has a take on the subject that hasn't already been done, but "Madeline's Madeline" comes pretty close. It's a very experimental film in some ways and one that will likely frustrate some viewers. I will admit to finding my patience tested at times, but overall I will say that the movie rewards sticking with it until its ambiguous end.

Madeline is a young woman whose acting talent either encourages her illness or gives her an outlet for it, depending on your perspective. Certainly her mom, played by Miranda July, is suspect of Madeline's troupe of acting friends and especially her acting teacher, but whether this suspicion arises from a mother's natural instinct for managing her daughter's fragile mental state or the threat that her control over her daughter might be jeopardized is not made entirely clear. Perhaps it's a bit of both? Certainly she has some reason to be concerned, because Madeline's teacher has no qualms about exploiting her illness for what it brings to the vague theater project she's working on. I've always only half-jokingly believed that the very best artists the world has produced are always a little bit crazy, and "Madeline's Madeline" seems to suggest that the fine line between sanity and artistic brilliance is a fuzzy one.

The chaotic film making, with its abrupt cuts, jumpy camera, and disorienting whirls and spins can be read as a visual representation of Madeline's disassociated mental state, but I wished the director would have calmed down a bit.

Grade: B