This was a most original film that I thoroughly enjoyed. One of its strengths was the way that the tone and mood changed so quickly. Some would (did?) say that this was a fault but not for me. At many times, particularly at the start, it recalled John Waters' Serial Mom with its almost gleeful depiction of the jaw-dropping ruthlessness of the central character Marla - superbly played by Rosamund Pike; it must have been such fun to play! however, one of the strengths of the film was the way that you were made to quickly change your views - not just form A to B but from A to B and back again, and then to C. There was a marvellous sense of being wrong-footed all the time. Just when you thought you had got a sense as to the tone and style of the film, it pulled this from under you.
One of its strengths was how it managed to get you emotionally involved in everyone - not just the elderly whom Marla took such advantage of, but Marla herself. Her relationship with her young girlfriend was really strong and well done (and without any sense that it was shrieking ‘look, it’s a film with a gay relationship in it.’ As the film progressed, I became more sympathetic to her as I could see a better person underneath the monstrous coiffed exterior. And at times, certainly as the climax approached, there was a definite Thelma and Louise vibe going on.
Dianne Wiest was marvellous and I regretted that she di not have more to do and that we found out more about here. She was very definitely there as a key plot element but as a result as a character in the story she was rather thinly sketched. A pity.
But I am still feeling ambivalent about the finale - very short and very quick and, in one way, only to be expected but there was a sense that it was almost too easy - I cannot really say more without giving it away but would be very interested to hear views of others who have seen this.
An excellent evening.