By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Marielle Heller
Starring: Amy Adams | Arleigh Snowden | Emmett Snowden | Jessica Harper | Scoot McNairy
Year: 2024
Running time: 98
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12810074/reference/
Brett says: “Both director Marielle Heller (THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL) and actor Amy Adams deliver yet again in NIGHTBITCH, a drama-comedy that goes dark at times to tear into the daunting expectations of motherhood. The film is a risky one in that it goes after a subject that is often viewed as off-limits and insensitive if not met with some light-heartedness along the way: the subject of bitterness toward motherhood. Do not panic, however; the film does not roast motherhood unrelentingly. For this viewer, there is a fair balance that never lingers too long in the sardonic or full-blown disdain with at least a minor reprieve here and there.
“One’s level of attachment to this film is likely a reflection of where that person is in their own life, as there is plenty to disagree with or find fault in if one’s own perception/worldview conflicts with the depictions here. However, if the stars align, this is a film that could vault to the top of many people’s ‘comfort viewing/repeat viewing’ lists as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are being made or as socks and T-shirts are being folded. Amy Adams’ character is a stay-at-home mom, revealing a fair amount of resentment (or, at least defeat) for giving up identity, career, and dreams to raise her little boy. It is almost like a sickness, a sickness that transforms the film into the realm of magical realism and adds a new layer to reflection on motherhood and the need for self-actualization as the plot progresses.
“Flashbacks and alternate mental timelines add to the depictions of frustrations for Amy Adams’ character. Ironically, some of these moments add temporary clarity and purpose for the character, which only serve to set the stage for all the more rage between conflicting emotions and perceptions about motherhood where there isn’t a clear-cut guidebook for how one should feel at any given moment. For this viewer, that ambiguity, ambivalence, and unquenched answer-seeking is welcomed; that level of complication elicits feelings of stepping outside of oneself to try to become part of the Amy Adams character, even though it’s a revolving door that is difficult to slip inside. The opening sequence alone was enough to melt this viewer into an avalanche of empathy and vicarious pain. Much of that credit goes to Amy Adams’ ability to captivate as a performer, and it seems wrong to expect anything other than heaps of praise for her in another well-developed performance here.
“Likely the film’s biggest obstacle is overcoming cinematic adaptations from the book on which it is based. For those without a connection to the book, the film functions just fine without the need to compare modifications or storytelling liberties Heller takes. Secondarily, some viewers without that connection to the book might long for a deeper, less superficial connection between Amy Adams’ mother character and those surrounding characters during a first screening of the film. One character in particular seems to be an important influence on the overall theme, but the answer as to whether or not that connection is portrayed deeply enough lies in the eye of the beholder. Perhaps there is a degree of leniency or suspension of disbelief that is given here, but the tone and directorial voice is so clear and both hilarious and emotional at the same time that it seems fine to give some slack. Again, one’s own current status in life is likely to determine how far that viewer is willing to go in allowing said slack and humor.
“The driving force behind the film is how unapologetic Heller is with the story. It’s this strong, self-assured storytelling that captivates and gives the film its legs. Paradoxically, it’s also the sort of thing that might turn some away from it.
“4 CATS OUT OF 5“