Eileen

Quick review: 'Eileen' is one of those films where all the pieces were there to be something great, but they just weren't quite assembled correctly. The film just comes across a little flat. There's quite a prolonged and drawn out build-up, and then the pay-off isn't quite worthy of it. I still liked the film, don't get me wrong, but I can't help feeling it could've been something more.

There are a few attempts at humour long the way, none of them really land though. And there are a couple of fake-out scenes that were truly shocking, but ultimately meant nothing unfortunately. Not a bad film, but not one I'm sure I'll remember much of a year from now. 6.5/10.

This movie made no sense.

At first I thought it had a vibe similar to Saltburn that I have just seen. With its themes of pier pressure, parental expectations and a twisty turning plot, Eileen starts with the bookish, socially awkward main character drifting in and out of reality.

Anne Hathaway comes along along and leads us to believe that their relationship will develop into something more than a colleague based relationship. Just when when we think things might develop into something the film has been foreshadowing, the movie takes a ridiculous turn into left field and further oblique turns after that.

The build up made no sense with how the movie turned out. Everything in the movie was well done up until the plot, which makes no sense. Best avoided.

I wish I hadn't watched this movie back-to-back with Saltburn; I would have liked more time between viewings before seeing so many similar character traits and situations. Eileen kept me interested throughout the runtime, mostly thanks to Thomasin McKenzie. A less interesting performer could have rendered this completely skippable. The movie spends a lot of time establishing what Eileen's life is like, and those details drew me in to the story. Then, Anne Hathaway's character is introduced, and the plot begins to take off. As the action continued to build, I really wanted to see where everything would end up. However, I was disappointed by the resolution; I felt like most of what we had learned about the characters became unimportant as a result of their final choices. It was hard not to feel like I had wasted my time when the credits came up because it was such an unsatisfying way to end things. It prevents me from being able to recommend this movie to anyone. I don't regret watching it, but I was definitely let down.

Eileen is not worth watching for the positive attributes because it exemplifies why "story" matters. Oldroyd's film has no third act, which is also a problem with the source of this adaptation. The movie takes a vicious twist. That turn primarily concerns the great Marin Ireland's (Hell or High Water) character and her son, incarcerated for murder, who is also under Hathaway's Rebecca's care.

While what transpires can be fascinating, especially when McKenzie's Eileen evolves into taking over the more dominant role, the film fails because there's no third act. This is not an argument that Eileen needs a nice little bow to wrap up her story. Far from it. The issue is that there's no closure, character redemption, or accountability.

Eileen's story, frankly, stops and falls off the metaphorical storytelling cliff. Yes, Hathaway is electric. We know McKenzie can say more with a stoic glance than most can say with a monologue. Whigham plays caustic roles like no other actor of this time in cinema .

Eileen(2023) is a film adaptation of Ottessa Moshfegh's novel of the same name, directed by William Oldroyd and starring Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie. The film follows Eileen, a lonely and unhappy young woman who works at a juvenile prison in a bleak Massachusetts town in 1964. Her life changes when she meets Rebecca, a glamorous and charismatic psychologist who takes an interest in her. Eileen becomes obsessed with Rebecca and gets involved in a dark and twisted plot that will test her loyalty and morality.

The film has some strengths, such as the performances of the two leads, the atmospheric cinematography, and the faithful adaptation of the source material. Hathaway and McKenzie deliver nuanced and compelling portrayals of their complex characters, showing their vulnerability, charisma, and unpredictability. The film also captures the mood and tone of the novel, creating a sense of claustrophobia, isolation, and desperation. The film does not shy away from the disturbing and shocking aspects of the story, which may appeal to fans of the book.

However, the film also has some weaknesses, such as the slow and uneven pacing, the lack of tension and suspense, and the unsatisfying and implausible ending. The film takes too long to establish the characters and the setting, and then rushes through the climax and the resolution. The film fails to generate enough interest and intrigue in the relationship between Eileen and Rebecca, and the motivations and actions of the characters are not well-explained or justified. The film also deviates from the novel in some key aspects, such as the ending, which may disappoint or confuse some viewers.

Overall, Eileen(2023) is a film that has some merit, but also some flaws. It is a faithful adaptation of a novel that may not translate well to the screen. It is a film that may appeal to some, but not to others. It is a film that tries to be a psychological thriller, but ends up being a solemn and anticlimactic oddity.