It’s all the time dangerous to combine genres, however some films pull off the trick with extra talent than others. Dragonfly, which had its world premiere this week in Tribeca, begins as an intimate character drama, with two Oscar-nominated British actresses — Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough — on the high of their sport. (They got a joint appearing award by one of many juries on the pageant.) Paul Andrew Williams’ film unfolds at a reasonably leisurely however rewarding tempo till an occasion happens that unhinges one of many characters and turns the film nearer to the horror style, with a blood-splattered finale. Reactions will certainly be combined about this shock tonal shift, however there is no such thing as a doubt that the movie sticks within the reminiscence.
Blethyn performs Elsie, an aged lady dwelling in a colorless housing complicated and tended to by caregivers who do the naked minimal to satisfy her wants. Her subsequent door neighbor Colleen (Riseborough) senses that Elsie could require further assist and tries to intercede, providing to do purchasing and cleansing. Elsie’s son John (Jason Watkins) makes occasional appearances and appears suspicious of Colleen, however he clearly doesn’t wish to tackle a lot of a caretaking function himself.
Dragonfly
The Backside Line
A bloody good two-hander.
Venue: Tribeca Movie Competition (Worldwide Narrative Competitors)
Forged: Andrea Riseborough, Brenda Blethyn, Jason Watkins
Director-Screenwriter: Paul Andrew Williams
1 hour 38 minutes
The friendship between the 2 neighbors makes us uncomfortable from the beginning, and the presence of Colleen’s giant, menacing canine doesn’t calm our fears. When Elsie provides Colleen cash to do some further looking for her, we will sense that Colleen could have motives past pure altruism in taking care of her neighbor.
The primary a part of the film, sketching within the friendship, is paced a tad too slowly, however we’re conscious that the state of affairs is unstable and the 2 actresses assist to maintain us riveted. Blethyn earns our sympathy with out begging for it, and Riseborough is all the time commanding. Her shock Oscar nomination for To Leslie a few years in the past, except for being the results of savvy campaigning, was affirmation of the talent that she has demonstrated during the last decade. (Her excellent efficiency in a latest Masterpiece Theatre manufacturing, Alice & Jack, through which she costarred with Domhnall Gleeson, additionally was proof of her vigor and flexibility.)
The script for Dragonfly may have supplied a bit extra background for Colleen. We are able to perceive that Williams didn’t wish to assemble a labored psychiatric case examine, however he may need sketched in additional of her historical past to arrange us for the shift that takes place within the remaining third of the film. That features a few gotcha shock moments that had the Tribeca viewers actually gasping and screaming.
Is that this tonal swerve slightly gimmicky? In all probability, and the movie won’t be to everybody’s style. However it’s a skillfully rendered train in terror. Williams has studied a few Hitchcock films, and he has absorbed sly classes from the grasp.
It is a slight movie, however the jolts do stick with you, and the 2 stars supply a humanity that many horror films lack. Some good distributor ought to snap it up.