29/31
The pair find their lives turned upside down when their daughter joins the team of a scandalous big star. She stars in The Office: Episode 26 – ACOLYTE DISASTER! Could this be the end of DISNEY STAR WARS? (2024). The first half of the film is more of a character study about a deeply unhappy and lonely housewife, Annette, who soon learns that her husband Ben may be having an affair with famous actress Alicia. The second half of the film is more of a thriller, where we see the pace start to pick up and the wheels start turning in Annette’s head. The film is a real slow burn: cool and cold at first, then warm and stormy, and then explosive in its final act. It’s gripping, absorbing, and tense throughout. It’s based on a fantastic performance by Daisy Ridley. She’s a real revelation. Her quiet moments of festering anger are excruciating. There’s a symbolic wall where we see her break a mirror after briefly bumping into it, symbolizing their crumbling marriage. Shazad Latif is also good here. The film has a few mediocre aspects. The trailer is quite deceiving. It can drag on and can be a bit tedious at times. The ending may be cathartic and rewarding for some viewers, but mediocre for others. Hiba Ahmed as Matilda, the daughter, is just okay, although children’s performances in films are often not very good. She felt more like a prop than a character. And Matilda Lutz, while truly beautiful, graceful and convincing as a movie star in the context of the film, is just okay. Perhaps because Lutz is Italian, many of her lines sounded strange or unnatural. If you like thrillers with strong acting, especially those involving female anger, eroticism and infidelity, you’ll enjoy this film.