Synopsis
At a remote lake house, a filmmaker plays a calculated game of desire and jealousy in the pursuit of a work of art that blurs the boundaries between autobiography and invention.
Review
Ever since its debut at the Sundance Film Festival at the beginning of 2020, Black Bear has been a movie that has been on mine and many others’ radar due to the simple fact that it starred Aubrey Plaza and Christopher Abbott. Aubrey Plaza was a scene stealer in the hit comedy series, Parks and Recreation, and had some of the most hilarious scenes in Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs the World back in 2010. Abbott also starred in Possessor and First Man which turned him into a household name that has been the talk of the town for a few months now. So, with the two A-list actors teaming up to star in Lawrence Michael Levine’s dark comedy, I was certainly interested in checking out Black Bear. However, having now seen the film, I have got to say that it has its moments but overall frustrated me and has left me disappointed.
The concept itself is rather intriguing; the film follows Allison who goes to stay with a couple at a remote lake in the Adirondack Mountains. The couple entertain their out-of-town guest (Aubrey Plaza) who is looking for inspiration for her filmmaking. However, the group quickly falls into a calculated game of desire, manipulation and jealousy, unaware of how intertwined their lives will soon become.
Firstly, Aubrey Plaza absolutely steals every single scene that she is in. The actress carries the film and even when it is frustrating, she delivers her finest performance to date. The movie entirely revolves around her and Plaza perfectly plays a character that feels distant yet sympathetic. You can understand her character and as the story progresses, you can connect with her character more and understand where she is coming from and how that affects the overall story.
The first half of Black Bear is also really strong. It builds the intrigue, tension and relationships perfectly and sets up the characters very nicely. Plaza and Abbott’s characters have some solid backstory that links to the films narrative and the way the movie is handled with so much passion and care is so visible. It takes its time to build up the story then all of a sudden the movie ends on a cliff-hanger and we never see that storyline finish. Black Bear shifts gear and becomes a black comedy that wasn’t remotely funny and was pretentious, tedious and rather frustrating.
The second half shifts its tone completely and didn’t truly sit right with me. Considering the first half of Black Bear was great, the second half of the movie felt like a totally different film and as if it was trying to make fun of itself but felt irritating rather than hilarious. I could never understand why the movie tried to be so different to the first half which felt like setup that is building mystery, the characters and the tension then right at the point where I was stunned and wanting to see what happens next, it shifts gears and turns into something entirely different. I wanted more of what was seen in the first chapter of the film and less of what was in the second because it became very irritating and stale almost immediately.
Verdict
Black Bear is a movie that has truly left me frustrated. Aubrey Plaza carries this entire movie and stops it from being a total train wreck but that isn’t to say it’s any good either. The first half is brilliant due to the fact that it sets everything up perfectly but chapter two goes off the rails becoming tedious and irritating very quickly. I could never connect with where the story goes and at a certain point, I was sadly waiting for the film to end. It certainly does have its moments that shine but is too bogged down by its narrative and the final forty minutes to truly excel.
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