It’s all the time dangerous to combine genres, however some motion pictures 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 prime of their sport. (They got a joint appearing award by one of many juries on the competition.) 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 blended 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 residing in a colorless housing advanced 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 additional assist and tries to intercede, providing to do buying and cleansing. Elsie’s son John (Jason Watkins) makes occasional appearances and appears suspicious of Colleen, however he clearly doesn’t need to tackle a lot of a caretaking position himself.
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 offers Colleen cash to do some additional purchasing for her, we are able to 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 scenario 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 current Masterpiece Theatre manufacturing, Alice & Jack, during 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 will perceive that Williams didn’t need to assemble a labored psychiatric case research, however he might need sketched in additional of her historical past to organize us for the shift that takes place within the ultimate 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 just a little gimmicky? In all probability, and the movie is not going to be to everybody’s style. However it’s a skillfully rendered train in terror. Williams has studied a few Hitchcock motion pictures, 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 provide a humanity that many horror motion pictures lack. Some good distributor ought to snap it up.
Full credit
Venue: Tribeca Movie Competition (Worldwide Narrative Competitors)
Forged: Andrea Riseborough, Brenda Blethyn, Jason Watkins
Director-Screenwriter: Paul Andrew Williams
Producers: Marie-Elena Dyche, Dominic Tighe
Govt producers: Eilene Davidson, Naomi Despres, Michele Marshall, Caroline Cooper Charles, Cyrile Gonzalez, Bruno Wang, Jonathan Zimmern, Paul Webster, Anthony Buckner, Bob Portal, Inderpal Singh, Paul Andrew Williams
Director of images: Vanessa Whyte
Manufacturing designer: Kay Brown
Costume designer: Helen Bolter
Editor: Nina Annan
Music: Raffertie
Casting: Sarah Crowe, Xanthe Spencer Davidson
1 hour 38 minutes
