Sugar Daddy

This movie really surprised me. I had low expectations perhaps. A strong all Canadian cast that normally play supporting roles; a debut writing effort; and a single poor review at the time I watched this. But something pulled me in anyway. I was intrigued to see how Kelly McCormack would be in a lead role as I had only ever seen her as a supporting actor in a SciFi series (Killjoys).

I was truly blown away. Kelly is an amazingly talented performer. Not just in her acting skills but her singing and writing too. The story line was strong and well paced; the cinematography and production well done and the music was perfect. I was drawn into Kelly's character, Darren, feeling the angst she was going through. I was doubly surprised when I realized Kelly was performing her own music.

I do suggest watching this on a big screen with good speakers.

Now if you are expecting some seedy movie about sugar daddies and sugar babies, it isn't that at all. It is just a backdrop to the personal journey Darren goes through which is brought to a solid conclusion.

While Colm Feore and Amanda Brugel were supporting actors, their performances were rock solid. Amanda's screen time was short being only in a handful of scenes but she was very present in this movie.

I am now a Kelly McCormack fan and I really look forward to her future projects.

The only good thing about this movie is Amanda Brugel. The pace is so slow, and the lead character is annoying as hell. I would like most of my 101 minutes back, please.

I don't think this is quite the movie I was expecting it to be. What it is, however, is splendid all the same, and deceptively dark. Star and writer Kelly McCormack has whipped up a terrific screenplay, following protagonist Darren as her ideals, naivete, and illusions set her up for multiple rude awakenings of varying degrees, if not an outright spiral. The film dallies with notions of gender, sex, and social expectations and values, stirring them in like dollops of cookie dough in a vat of ice cream - irregular in size, density, and incidence, but unquestionably contributing to the delicious flavors herein. I also deeply appreciate the place of music in this, and modern expressions of visual art, as they quietly and underhandedly mirror Darren's journey over these 100 minutes. I wasn't entirely sure what it was I was sitting for at the start, but I am so very pleased with the end result - 'Sugar daddy' is fantastic!

I think any basic premise one might read for the picture gives an inaccurate impression of what it actually is. Consider this sentence: "A cash-strapped musician who can't pay her rent becomes an escort on an app for wealthy men and spirals into a dark web of sex and men's control." It sounds like a grim psychological drama, yet even as the story follows Darren in the depths of her personal crisis, it never quite reaches that level of bleakness. This is, instead, more a tale of self-actualization - a tale about an adult who has her assumptions shattered around her, and who has to climb her way up from that wreckage. Along the way McCormack, as writer, gives us gratifyingly smart scene writing, sometimes cutting dialogue, and characters of plentiful complexity. As the star she demonstrates ranged, nuance skill that makes her a solid leading lady, and it's a joy to watch her practice her craft, all the more so because she has a great singing voice. I'm delighted at how excellent music is woven into 'Sugar daddy,' most of it written by Marie-Hélène Delorme and no small amount performed by McCormack herself.

On that note, it's worth again accentuating the visual element, because everyone behind the scenes did a superb job in creating the look and feel of the picture. In this instance I don't even mean so much the filming locations and sets as I do smaller details: mindful, rich use of lighting; fetching costume design, and hair and makeup work; gorgeous effects and choreography; and even Kristin Fieldhouse's cinematography and Christine Armstrong's editing, both wonderfully sharp. This is hardly to leave out Wendy Morgan's expert direction tying together all the many varied elements, including drawing out strong performances from the supporting cast - Colm Feore, Hilary McCormack, and more. And in all other ways this is tremendously well made, perhaps more than one might initially assume based on how little visibility the title has had.

It may not be as intensely absorbing as similar movies to come to call, but I don't think there's any arguing that this is compelling, satisfying, and even rewarding. To the extent that 'Sugar daddy' doesn't have full impact, it's off by only a matter of degrees. Everyone involved has made fine contributions to the success of this feature, in all regards, though given the multiple hats she wears it's safe to say Kelly McCormack stands out above all. I can understand how this may not appeal to all viewers, but I entered with mixed expectations and walk away thoroughly impressed with the movie I've watched. For my part I think this is well worth checking out if you have the chance!

The character of Darren is clunky and unlikeable but extremely talented. Talent hasn't gotten her far though and so she must sign up to Sugar Daddy for wealthy men. She really just wants to make art and create a space of her own. For Darren this living thing is awkward; but she grins and bears it. And she appears to push through all the discomfort, but she summarily buries her feelings from herself so that she can carry on. Her saving grace is she is very ambitious. Her Achilles heel is she is equally reckless. She has to balance these qualities and package this into something substantive that can jettison her, so people are actually able to recognize her multiple talents. But she is unable to take any feedback. Her group of friends are so caught up in taking sides, trying to prove where they stand around the politics of sugardaddying that they don't really see her pain and are of little help. The scene of her careening around that room is almost too painful to watch. The fact that no one really takes an interest in her only adds to her sense of overwhelm and isolation. Darrin herself can't even begin to face, let alone reckon with the ramifications of her decisions and choices because she can't settle down long enough to consider who she is or what any of the choices mean. We do see her buying instruments and creating music. This will be her saving grace, her way to finally calm her inner frustration. You want to route for her, tell her it will all be okay. She will figure it all out. Actually she is figuring it all out. But Darrin wouldn't have the language for that and she wouldn't afford us or herself this opportunity. She is wholly reactive and spewing her anger into her music. She is like an overgrown toddler barreling down the street. When she gets the opportunity to go see the record producer she gives her some helpful info. But Darrin is too fragile to listen. I kept finding myself relieved that her suitors were actually mostly not bad guys. If they had been Darrin might not make it to the next stage in her journey; as she is already so easily provoked, like an open wound. All of this is understandable due to how much she has lost, and how precarious her recent experiences have been. She desperately needs kindness and tenderness but she can't seem to comfort herself which would be thr first step. She has to learn from her own hard knocks. But she is so hard on herself that this seems really unlikely. The antagonist in the movie and her primary sugar daddy gives her a much needed payment so she can finally get the room and space she needs to work things out. For him this is not a particularly emotional choice but simply a pragmatic one. Still it is a grand and compelling gesture that is a game changer for her. But she can't slow down, which might allow her to recognize how her life has changed, which is considerable. Instead she wants to get to the bottom of the gesture. She confronts him at a dinner and he dismisses her. So she cannot get the emotional catharsis she desperately needs, not even from him. What Darrin needs is adversarial mirroring, someone to get scrappy and messy with her; but not leave. I believe this is what the scene with her roomate is about. It's messy and confusing and compelling. When she tries to get him to have sex with her, by pushing herself on him it is a reversal of traditional power dynamics. Darrin is desperate to feel things on her own terms, and she is incredibly independent. Almost to a fault. She learns that in the final analysis, she will have to do all of this for herself. There is no one there to work it out with. Other people aren't willing to grapple with her complexities. And so when she has the room of her own, and all her tools of creation, she makes messy powerful evocative ritualistic music. She spews forth all of the things she will no longer swallow. She surrenders entirely. The scene with the oil she vomits up is pivotal. Now she is finally an empty vessel. She is then able to find beauty and refinement in herself and then with another. The scene with her sister singing accapella with her reflects this new energy. This song offers a much needed expression of peace. The song shows the sisters singing face to face; in a gesture of cohesion and symmetry. And in this song Darrin is steady, and aligned. She is symbolically finally able to internalize her own experiences. This movie is a powerful feast for the senses. We are taken on Darrin's inner journey each step of the way, and we are asked to feel her discordance palpably. I found it almost disorienting at times. We see this disconnect and feel it in scene after scene. We feel too the beauty she is trying to reach for and create as it emerges slowly. I was stunned by the colors, the rich fabrics, and the singing. And I was piqued by the uncomfortable tense sequences we were asked to travel with and through. These become the backdrop; as we grow to tentatively trust Darrin's ability to work it all out. I appreciate how much Kelly trusted her audience to stay with and live in this discomfort. She trusted her own artistic choices instead of making obvious easy choices. More please, from this extraordinary human. Highly recommended.

Depressed, artsy girl of few words bristles at the avalanche of oppression around her. God, can't the world just sympathize with her plight?!

This is a sub-genre of film that needs to go away. Either that or people need to remember to write an actual story.