Review of 20th Century Women (2016) by John S — 20 Jan 2017
What appears to be a coming of age feminist flick, turns out to be a wonderfully honest portrayal of multi-facetted relationships in a tumultuous time. When is time not tumultuous? Exactly. It's the late seventies, the soundtrack is punk, America has a wonderful president (although they don't know it) in Jimmy Carter, and the hippie aesthetic of the sixties is being put to the test.
As mother hen Dorothea, Annette Bening is wonderful in a complex role that requires strength, vulnerability and passion. Single mother to her teenage son Jamie, Dorothea asks her artsy boarder, and Jamie's plutonic girl friend, to help raise the boy.
What could have easily spiralled into a mushy, messy, melodrama, is instead a visceral slice of life, where shit happens, folks react, drama ensues, some resolution is found, some is not. And amidst all the drama, there are bits of clever humour sprinkled in for levity. There is no clear, point to point plot trail here, just an extended family dealing with life as it unfolds.
The performances are exceptional across the board, with Bening a likely Oscar candidate. Superb.
This review of 20th Century Women (2016) was written by John S on 20 Jan 2017.
20th Century Women has generally received very positive reviews.
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