[Cross-posting – this review can also be read here.]
Let’s make reality great again. Let’s make it such where American Dream is actually attainable, and would look like idyll brought to life. How about letting Dita von Teese's beloved era of Golden Age of Hollywood of 1940’s represent that idyll? They say, behind every man there is a woman, or something to that effect; the Don't Worry Darling story’s muse must have essentially been Miss von Teese, inspiring both writers, Shane and Carey Van Dyke (who also wrote the 2019 horror film The Silence).
One would wonder, what has all that got to do with Olivia Wilde, after noting her name; an actress who has had roles in such notable sci-fi film projects as Tron: Legacy and In Time. Surely the idyll, mentioned earlier on, would get a sci-fi twist..?
It is not difficult to make these connections, when watching the trailer for Don’t Worry Darling, and I’m not entirely happy to report that the film is predictable. Intriguing, of course, but predictable.
Predictability is not the only issue the new Darling has. Wikipedia article says that “the film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised [Florence] Pugh's performance, the cinematography, and production design, but ultimately found it unsatisfactory”. Once again I must say I wasn’t surprised. And it wasn’t just the consensus there that was unsurprising.
Florence Pugh is wonderful. I remember watching Little Women at the cinema before she was nominated for the Academy Award, and thinking, “how is that I’ve not heard anything about standing ovation anywhere regarding this performance?” What can be seen in Darling is no less intense and remarkable. I think Ms. Pugh is at her best when in a role and situation that all deal with being in a relationship. She must be the only actress that has at times made me wonder about how she is rehearsing for these roles. “There is no way there isn’t a man behind this,” had been my speculation a few times, and I don’t mean a director when I write this. Besides, it shouldn’t not be noted how good a rebel who questions established notions Ms. Pugh can be.
Florence Pugh and Harry Styles in Don't Worry Darling movie. Source
“This is all great,” one might think, “why complain?” Right? And I’m not complaining about Florence Pugh being great actress. What I have issue with is how not great everyone else around her looks in Darling. Even Chris Pine’s Frank, who is the antagonist, the alpha male who fears chaos, is made to look smaller than what such a role would typically call for.
I’ve read in some review that the reviewer thought Ms. Pugh was carrying Harry Styles in his Darling role of Jack. But I don’t remember reading anything about how possibly these male characters in Darling have been developed. The impression I got was that neither the screenwriter Katie Silberman nor director Olivia Wilde (who also plays the role of Bunny) had been looking for strong and spectacular male performances in Darling, except perhaps for above mentioned role of Frank, and, taking into account what the story really is about, none of that is an issue here. The issue, in my humble opinion, is the screen time each of the lead characters get – Florence Pugh ends up shining like the Sun as if the film had been written to procure another nomination for her, while everyone else is like a planet you sometimes see in the night sky. There’s something quite unbalanced about this aspect of the film, which, despite possibly the best of intentions, ends up working against it.
At the forefront: Olivia Wilde and Chris Pine in Don't Worry Darling. Source
Perhaps the worst part about Don’t Worry Darling is how it fails to deliver the number of ideas it has as its groundwork in a manner that matches the hype around this movie. There is, as you can probably tell by watching the trailer, the status quo of the role of woman as a housewife. Yet what is not made that evident in the trailer are the topics of how people don’t believe hard work alone can get them anywhere, and how that same hard work affects relationships; to the point where some opportunistic life coach is able to have the lives of people to work on his terms. Seeing Chernobyl Diaries and The Silence writer names, one would hope there is going to be something eerie and disturbing to witness on screen. Sorry folks, not this time – best we get is a vanilla psychological horror, and all the ideas that should have had at least portion of the depth of The Matrix, Westworld or Black Mirror series end up being a feeble flashback. Perhaps having The Handmaid’s Tale as an inspiration instead of something like Black Mirror would have been far more fulfilling experience for everyone? Just a thought.
Still, despite all of the above, Don’t Worry Darling isn’t a bad watch: cars of the 1950’s, nice set designs, performances of Dita von Teese and Florence Pugh – all are quite delightful.
Peer Ynt
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