Con’s Score: 3.5 Packets of Painkillers
Ollie (Tessa Thompson) is a tough cookie. She’s barely out of teenagehood and she sleeps on the floor of her mother’s room, out of habit. She nursed her mother through ill health, to her death, but we meet her while she’s running from a police van. She’s on probation for selling her mum’s meds. She’s so well known, men come knocking late at night, as they need pain killers to get them through the next shift.
Ollie’s sister, Deb (Lily James), has a cute kid, Johnny, and is pregnant again. Her deadbeat husband Bill (Luke Kirby) is working at the fracking mine and is a bastard, who has flashes of guilt. Deb isn’t sure she can afford to keep the baby. She’s unemployed, has no health insurance, and needs $8,000 to have the baby in a hospital. Plus, they need $6,000 to stop repossession of their mother’s house, that is actually worth less. Welcome to the land of the free.
Ollie starts selling again, and keeps skirting trouble. She’s faced with chasing a job outside of town and deserting her sister or staying and sinking. And the men around them are more menacing than merciful.
If you want ant to understand how busted America is, you can watch an hour of CNN, a Mike Moore documentary, or talk to people on the fringe like Ollie and Deb. Their story isn’t a remarkable one, but the background of despair tells you as much as a news channel or what Moore warned everyone about. ‘Murrica is broken.
The realisation that the illegal pharmaceutical trade is so big because men need them to function is a kick to your guts. Seeing the miners quarters makes you realise how small their world is. Seeing men strap themselves up before a rodeo makes you question, which animal is being tortured the most here? They’re so broken, they’ll put their trust in a guy like Trump because the system is as shattered as they are.
Director Nia DaCosta has directly a lovely story about these challenges, and they’re brutal if you’re a young girl. Minus a man, you’re at the mercy of others. Without a plan, you’ll sink faster than if you had one. But this isn’t about demonising men. They’re also victims here.
The acting is very impressive. Tessa Thompson’s star is about to explode. She plays Ollie with grit and vulnerability and it’s excellent acting. Lily James’ star is already on the rise, and she’s showing what a range she has. She’s sympathetic without being pathetic.
This is a gentle drama, with a dark heart, but it’s the one that keeps America’s barely beating. This is also DaCosta’s debut. Her light touch, and cinematography are easy to enjoy. This looks like a film that will launch a few quality careers.
Con Nats – On The Screen
