Review of Hateship Loveship (2014) by Blake P — 16 Sep 2014

Frumpy is not an adjective I would ever expect to use when describing Kristen Wiig - but in "Hateship Loveship", she is the embodiment of the term. She portrays Johanna Parry, a seriously shy (and badly dressed) housekeeper who would rather experience an ulcer than make witty conversation.

After her latest customer passes away, she is hired by Mr. McCauley (Nick Nolte), a 70-something who is the primary guardian to Sabitha (Hailee Steinfeld), his granddaughter. Sabitha's father, Ken (Guy Pearce), is rugged on the exterior, but within, a torn-up drug addict who can't seem to get himself out of the gutter.

In an act of teen girl mean-spiritedness, Sabitha begins writing love notes to Johanna, under her father's name. What she doesn't realize, however, is that Johanna isn't merely an old-maid - while she doesn't speak much, cruelty isn't the kind of thing that can tear her down, and payback isn't satisfying. Good guys always finish last, they say.

"Hateship Loveship" is a decent movie, one of demure origins and a standoffish perspective. Much of the ensemble is restrained, and the film works because it's satisfied living in the shadows of the extroverts, similar to how Johanna goes about her life. Liza Johnson's direction is sensitive and free, giving weight to the space around her and letting the slice-of-life story breathe.

Wiig is a big kahuna in the comedy world, her tenure on "Saturday Night Live" already legendary. She is extremely versatile, mastering impressions, cartoony characters, and lovability. In "Hateship Loveship", however, everything we've come to know about her is completely gone - she trades her comedic genius for tightly wound dramatics. She doesn't have much dialogue, but Wiig, as it turns out, is wildly expressive and emotive. While the actors around her are given roles that don't have much in terms of dimension, Wiig is able to create a fully formed woman, much of which isn't covered in the screenplay.

Already, she is doing what Bill Murray has done for decades; in reviews, we don't have to talk about their "Saturday Night Live" background. We can instead look solely at their performance and how it betters the film. Murray has proven time and time again, whether it be through "Lost in Translation" and "Broken Flowers", that the mundane can actually be interesting: Wiig does the exact same thing with "Hateship Loveship".

As a whole, it isn't a work of mastery - but as far as impressions go, Wiig has made a big one. The film barely made a nickel in theaters, nor did it leave most critics stunned. But Wiig is so fantastic, it's a surprise she didn't receive more acclaim. With the now playing "The Skeleton Twins", she's surely destined for dramatic greatness, and "Hateship Loveship" is a stepping stone. Surely, we love her in comedy - but in drama, she is just as fantastic. Hopefully, she won't end up in Chris Kattan's shoes. But at this point, it's doubtful.