"Promising Young Woman": Movie Review
Written By Alex Greenbaum
"Promising Young Woman" weaves a strikingly unique tone that showcases a critical message about the hypocrisy of American society and more specifically, sexism. This includes a dominant performance by Carey Mulligan (her best performance to date) whose unhinged yet wildly entertaining character is incorporated smoothly and intuitively into the drama. Even though its extreme tendencies do give way to some choppy editing and forced humor, the charm of its simple yet meaningful storytelling, music, and costume design blends together to create one of the most compelling and unforgettable films to be released in recent memory.
A medical school dropout (Mulligan) seeks revenge on the individuals who covered up a case of sexual assault against her best friend.
The directorial debut by Emerald Fennell is a balanced "genderless" (Fennell's words) interpretation of sexual assault in America, that manages comedy, romance, and drama with the greatest of ease. This balancing act that Fennell pulls off is confirmation that defying genre tropes can be exhilerating. The film's effectiveness is in no small part due to the on screen performance by Mulligan that is Oscar worthy. There's a complexity to her wide range of personalities that expose both genders and authority figures alike, and to wield this acting prowess that Mulligan posesses throughout the film is truly brilliant.
Composer Anthony B. Willis's hypnotic musical score and striking remixes of "Toxic" or "Its Raining Men" is wonderfully creative. Being able to utilize Britney Spears and Paris Hilton music for romantic or dramatic motivations is genius, further solidifying your connection to Mulligan's character and love interest in Bo Burnham, whose understated performance is excellent.
While the film is a treat, Fennell's debut does come with some drawbacks. The humor doesn't always land and its choppy editing/ visual style can lead to some distracting sequences, especially in its introduction and conclusion. These minor flaws do detract, at times, from its poignant ambitions, but the material is so full of substance, it is able to overcome these inconsistencies.
A legendary performance, a special musical score, and a critical lesson for both genders outweighs any of its flaws. The grace by which Fennells layered commentary on sexual assault is composed is something to marvel at, making "Promising Young Woman" a radical game changer from start to finish.
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