Lou

As "Lou" (2022 release; 109 min) opens, we are introduced to Lou, a fifty-something "lone ranger" woman in remote Washington State (we later learn it's the San Juan Islands). One senses she has had a complicated past. Her neighbor is Hannah, a thirty-something mother of a young daughter. A big storm is arriving soon, and before you know it, things go haywire on many different levels. At this point we are 10 min into the movie.

Couple of comments: this film is directed by noted cinematographer Anna Foerster. More importantly, the film is produced by none other than J. J. Abrams, immediately raiding expectations. Alas, it was not to be. For that, look no further than the script, which is frankly quite weak. Not only do things happen that simply make no sense, but worse, there is never any doubt how all of this is going to play out in the end. There are two bright lights: first, Allison Janney brings a tough performance in the title role. Second, the outdoor scenery (somewhere in the wild and wide open Pacific Northwest) is simply tops. It's a shame that the rest of the production isn't on the same high level.

"Lou" premiered on Netflix this past weekend. If you are in the mood for an "action thriller" that is fairly straight-forward if not predictable, I'd readily suggest you keep your expectations fairly low, and then draw your own conclusion.

I had low expectations for this movie but Janney and Smollett acting carried this movie. So used to Janney playing wacky characters like in Mom or 10 things I hate about you so it was very hard to imagine Janney as a bad ass lead but she pulled it off so well. A serious role for Janney with a dash of her snarky humor mixed in.

For anyone that watches this movie but can't figure out where they recognize Smollett it might be as a child actor in Full House. Plot was told pretty well and kept me interested throughout the movie. I even liked the plot twist that I was not expecting. Definitely worth a watch.

It's an action thriller so I wasn't exactly expecting it to re-invent the wheel. I just wanted a decent popcorn flick with interesting characters and some action on the side.

I was actually pleasantly surprised. While not reinventing the genre, the movie definitely reinvigorates it. The characters development and the dynamic between the two women is very well written and the acting is exceptional for a movie of the genre.

Just when I thought I couldn't be surprised by the depth of Janney's acting, she knocks another one out of the park in a role I never would have expected her in.

Oh and for the ones who are having such a hard time "suspending disbelief" when they see "a senior citizen" kick two young guys into next week, ask yourself why you had no such issue while watching Keanu Reeves, a mere 3 years "younger" take a whole room full of armed younger guys in John Wick...

To Watch or Not to Watch?

I have become jaded over time as I feel that the quality of the average film has dropped over the years.

I must admit, I did not hold out high hopes for this movie. However, I was pleasantly surprised.

The acting was good, the music was good, as were the locations. It was great to see Janney in a different role and she excelled.

There are no great surprises here, but so what? It is a good way to pass a couple of hours of action /thriller entertainment with a couple of surprise plot twists.

I happily recommend it. It is worth the watch just so long as you keep your expectations realistic.

In a secluded part of the Pacific Northwest, loner Lou Adell (Allison Janney) is living a solitary life with her dog Jax with her only regular contact being with single mother Hannah Dawson (Jurmee Smollett) and her daughter Vee (Ridley Bateman) who rent property on Lou's land. During a massive storm Hannah's abusive and presumed dead ex Phillip (Logan-Marshall-Green) kidnaps their daughter Vee and Hannah enlists Lou's help in tracking the two down leading to Lou tapping into her dormant skillset and long buried wounds that made her who she is.

Lou is the directorial debut of cinematographer Anna Forester whose previous directing credits were in television such as Criminal Minds and Outlander. Produced by J. J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions, the film while initially setup at Paramount was dropped early on with Bad Robot opting to film Lou independently with distribution rights eventually being picked up by Netflix. The movie doesn't break too far from the established formula of this kind of action thriller, but it does deliver on suspense and character you expect from this type of film.

One of the things that stood out to me with Lou was just how gritty the film looks. While Lou is set in the 1980s, the movie wisely avoids becoming "nostalgia porn" and really only uses 80s iconography or references when appropriate and in context rather than reminding you every few minutes as some films set in the decade have been guilty of. From the hard-edged fight sequences to some really tense survival sequences such as a setpiece on a lopsided rope bridge the movie reminded me of thrillers such as 1988's Shoot to Kill which mixed this kind of chase movie with environmental perils. Allison Janney is really good as Lou and her performance as this hardened isolated loner is well done and she fits the role very well in terms of both the character's backstory and skillset as well as conveying the inner turmoil of this character when it's revealed what the source is. The other actors are good in their roles too with Jurmee Smollett's performance as an abuse survivor quite engaging and Logan Marshall-Green a solidly done antagonist even if they're not as compelling as Janney's role. The movie does have a twist relating to certain character relationships and like most twists related to this type of genre exercise I think most will see it coming, but it works well enough thematically and leads to a tense and emotional climax that I was willing to let it pass.

Lou doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to this kind of gritty minimalist action thriller, but it gives enough meat to the characters, aesthetics, and performances that I was kept engaged throughout the film's brisk 100-minute runtime. Anna Foerster shows solid work in her first feature in the director's seat and I look forward to seeing her hone her style in other films.