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Kajillionaire (2020 Miranda July quirkiness)

Started by dissolute ocelot, March 31, 2021, 11:20:33 AM

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dissolute ocelot

Saw this last night (it's on pay per view, but is £1.99 on Amazon). An overly quirky drama about really unlikable people, but it kind of won me over in the end.

Without spoilers, the great Richard Jenkins and 80s star Debra Winger play aging con artists who've raised their daughter, Evan Rachel Wood, in the family game. None of them seem to have any warmth or human emotion, so it's the antithesis of something like Shoplifters where all the petty crooks are adorable. Also considering they've been doing cons for 25+ years, they don't seem very good at it. Then for no good reason they team up with the gorgeous, adorable Gina Rodriguez to do some more cons, which upsets the family dynamics in various ways. And that's your plot.

There's also lots of weirdness: they stay in an apartment which is genuinely one of the most comically horrible living places, there seem to be repeated earthquakes, and much more. And it doesn't always make a huge amount of sense plotwise, which may be partly intentional.
Spoiler alert
What's the scam with the hot tub?
[close]

It's from the singular mind of Miranda July, none of whose other work I've actually seen, but I think she's been mentioned on the boards so would be interested to hear more about her. As a film it's not going to be for everyone but is certainly unusual, with some funny bits, and kind of a symbolic or allegorical quality.

sevendaughters

I'd like to see this. Her film Me and You and Everyone We Know feels like an art installation to a certain degree, these different sketches of alienation glued together. Not seen it for ages but got the DVD here.

Sebastian Cobb

I'll give this a bash. I went through some of July's stuff last year and liked it but missed this one somehow.

I liked Me You and Everyone We Know (which is also a bit like Sevendaugter's description) and The Future.

thugler

Haated this. Quirky nonsense. A couple of imaginative scenes, but dragged on to fuck

Dusty Substance


When it comes to films, I do my best to not judge them until I've seen them but, fucking hell, this sounds dreadful.

Isn't her particular brand of "quirkiness" all a little bit 2000 and late?

sevendaughters

I think there is a difference between Miranda July's 'quirkiness' (seems more of an ironic detachment in the guise of a knowing artistic persona) and the quirkiness of the MPDG-riddled romcoms/agonycasts of Garden State, Elizabethtown, 500 Days of Summer, etc. Not saying that is necessarily good but at a filmic level I feel (having only seen Me & You etc) is different.

El Unicornio, mang

I quite liked this. I think the quirkiness was an integral, natural part of the story rather than being contrived or purely stylistic. The whole cast was fantastic. But, I can understand why it might be an irritating film to many.

zomgmouse

#7
This was very good. My favourite is still Me and You and Everyone We Know but I liked this a lot. I still think of how funny "Old Dolio" is.


Sebastian Cobb

Watched this last night and quite enjoyed it. I can see why the twee quirkyness can grate on some people but not me.

Dr Rock

Kajillionaire

Quote from: dissolute ocelot on March 31, 2021, 11:20:33 AM
Saw this last night (it's on pay per view, but is £1.99 on Amazon). An overly quirky drama about really unlikable people, but it kind of won me over in the end.

Without spoilers, the great Richard Jenkins and 80s star Debra Winger play aging con artists who've raised their daughter, Evan Rachel Wood, in the family game. None of them seem to have any warmth or human emotion, so it's the antithesis of something like Shoplifters where all the petty crooks are adorable. Also considering they've been doing cons for 25+ years, they don't seem very good at it. Then for no good reason they team up with the gorgeous, adorable Gina Rodriguez to do some more cons, which upsets the family dynamics in various ways. And that's your plot.

There's also lots of weirdness: they stay in an apartment which is genuinely one of the most comically horrible living places, there seem to be repeated earthquakes, and much more. And it doesn't always make a huge amount of sense plotwise, which may be partly intentional.
Spoiler alert
What's the scam with the hot tub?
[close]

It's from the singular mind of Miranda July, none of whose other work I've actually seen, but I think she's been mentioned on the boards so would be interested to hear more about her. As a film it's not going to be for everyone but is certainly unusual, with some funny bits, and kind of a symbolic or allegorical quality.

I just watched this, you summarize it gud, so I'll say I thought it was super. 9/10. And yes, Gina Rodriguez is gorgeous and adorable.

The scam with the hot-tub was that they could use it and take it back for a refund as long as it wasn't fitted.