Written by Cain Noble-Davies
Value: $17.00
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Brisbane International Film Festival
cast:
Jackie Van Beek, Hannah Divigny, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Josephine Brazier, Aaron Faaoso
Intro:
…It really and almost miraculously drove me crazy.
Audrey is a movie that starts out completely ridiculous, but continues to spiral from there. Its initial premise is a darkly comic conceit, in which struggling actress and helicopter mother Ronnie (Jackie Van Beek) takes a comatose teenager’s life in hopes of reviving her acting career. He assumes the identity of his daughter Audrey (Joséphine Brasier). With more commentary on this sociopathic reality and trophy parenting, the filmmakers could have given it all it’s worth and just coasted on that button, but as the story progresses, this aspect of ends up being one of the movie’s more tame developments.
Through the infuriatingly unlikeable characters and the humor where you’re not so much out of money as you’re out of clothes, the overall level of camp is high, and each scene is thoroughly disconcerting. Audiences will either quickly tire of its ruthlessness in squeezing potential laughter out of fundamentally broken individuals, or they will encounter its unruly wavelengths and endure this endurance test for the rest of their lives. There is a high possibility that it will become.
Van Beek isn’t in the writers’ room here (this was written by Lou Sanz), but he’s a big fan of the film’s ability to break with the tropes and clichés that many have (reluctantly) accepted as normal. Easily fits into her growing lineage. “Breaker Uppers” deconstructs the artificial third-act near-dissolution of most romantic comedies, and “Nude Tuesday” completely mocks the film’s dialogue, with Audrey, Girlfriend, Sons, And director Natalie Bailey seems to have her sights set on what’s next. A metaphor commonly referred to as “the woman in the refrigerator.” Simply put, it refers to the act of something horrifying, usually humiliating, happening to a supporting character in the story (usually a woman). The act is done not as a means to improve one’s character, but as a form of cheap “inspiration” for the character. The arc of the protagonist (usually a male, usually a character with whom a female is romantically involved or connected).
Here, it manifests itself in the way that Audrey’s coma triggers not only her mother, but also her father Cormac (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) and sister Nora (Hannah Diviny) to take advantage of the situation. are. Audrey gets another chance at acting, Cormac finds an outlet for his sexual frustration, and Nora begins to experience life as something other than a disabled person.
The appearance of Nora sticking out as a life preserver amidst a sea of mutton dressed as a lamb, the biblically faithful porn, and a surprisingly satisfying impromptu nose job ultimately help the whole movie make sense. are. Although she is not immune to poor decision-making, her actions are the most human and treated with empathy, giving the film the closest thing to a protagonist. Divigny’s performance is a key element of its appeal, brandishing a fencing tongue of foil to hit the weak spot in every scathing statement and provide an appropriate response to what others say. She is the lead star of “Semblance Of Sanity Freakshow” and the other members are juniors of “Worst Of Humanity Touring Company”.
Audrey is a work of sheer absurdity and astonishing courage, so much so that everything ever written is the last desperate act of a madman trying to find something even resembling earthly logic. Possibly. There’s a way to express that madness through the clever use of classic theater, blunt but effective metaphors, and hideous depictions of the depths of despair that people can fall into. But I try to override the recurring mental loop of “What the hell am I looking at in John Waters’ dull rotation?!” In something as messy as logic, the sheer joy of witnessing something so truly, almost miraculously insane is repulsive. If you can relate to Bobcat Goldthwait’s bold directorial work, or find the horror, humor, and heart in films like “The End of the World” and “The Greasy Strangler,” then this is probably the movie for you. You’ll end up with a cup of questionable-tasting lemonade. Get your ticket and get on the ride. You may not like it, but you’ll never forget it.
