By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.9
Director: Wendy Morgan
Starring: Aaron Ashmore | Amanda Brugel | Colm Feore | Ishan Davé | Kelly McCormack | Nicholas Campbell | Noam Jenkins
Country: canada
Year: 2021
Running time: 99
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7260052/reference
Chris says: “Nearly as off-putting as its title at first, SUGAR DADDY eventually finds its footing long before Darren (Kelly McCormack), its lead character does, fortunately. It happens in an ambitious party scene where all themes and implications regarding Darren’s decision to become an escort for money to support her struggling music career are addressed, debated and picked apart like few other films do around the subject. Written by McCormack, it’s very much like something her alter-ego would write: messy, a bit green and uneven, earnest and with transcendent flashes of a singular talent. 3.5 cats”
Michael says: “Darren is clearly a talented musician. She is also young, and wants success — on her own terms, to be sure, but her talent also leads her to believe that she always knows what’s best. When being a cater waiter to try to pay the rent while creating her art starts get tired, she finds out about a website where women can go on dates with older men… sugar daddies… just to provide some companionship and conversation, and get paid for it. We follow Darren on a string of these dates, with one of them sticking a little more than the others. Meanwhile, we also see Darren and her relationship with her roommate, which is rather uneven (he’s in love with her, she thinks of him as her best friend). This causes him to lash out in a particularly nasty way, but it does lead to one of my favorite scenes, and probably the centerpiece, of the film, where Darren and her friends have an intellectual and philosophical debate about whether her job is prostitution or not.
“Darren also continues to work on her music, and despite some influential folks giving her some advice, Darren is too sure of her path to listen, and lashes out randomly whenever she doesn’t hear what she wants to hear. It’s a case of someone who can’t get out of their own way, and it’s painful to watch, but also rather riveting. Kelly McCormack, who plays Darren, also wrote the screenplay, and it certainly does seem tailored to her musical skill set. The direction by Wendy Morgan is inventive and powerful, and is reminiscent for me of Josephine Decker’s MADELINE’S MADELINE. 4 cats”
Julie says: “I loved the dance scene at the end and I think this film is a contender for best use of music. 4.25 cats for me.”