LFF 2020: Herself
LFF 2020“Black widow” is the codeword used to indicate danger in Herself, the newest film from Phyllida Lloyd. Naturally, such utterances create numerous thematic connotations; such a specific reference could be to the hourglass-shaped abdomen, the entangled webs or the venomous bite. All of these aspects can be applied to Sandra’s (Clare Dunne) situation, a downtrodden mother in the midst of an abusive relationship with Gary (Ian Lloyd Anderson).
After one particularly violent episode, in which she ends up with a bloodied face and broken hand, she escapes the domestic purgatory with her two daughters, Emma (Ruby Rose O’Hara) and Molly (Molly McCann), temporarily residing in a hotel whilst she awaits council housing. In order to make the best out of their current situation, she works two jobs; one is at a local bar cleaning glasses and tables, whilst the other involves caring for Peggy (Harriet Walter), a doctor rendered partly immobilised by a hip injury.
With Dublin boasting a lengthy waiting list for housing, Sandra decides to build her own property in Peggy’s back garden, a chance to not only become self-sufficient but also symbolically rebuild her own life. With funds being scarce, she appeals to the good nature of friends and acquaintances, forming a motley crew to help with the labour and planning, turning a one-woman mission into a community project. Amidst all this, Sandra still adheres to Gary’s custody rights, bringing up repressed memories of abuse and trauma in the process.
Dunne, who co-wrote the script with Malcolm Campbell (What Richard Did), carries the weight of this toll on her shoulders throughout, perfectly capturing the fine balance of yearning for reinvention whilst being bogged down by past experiences. With great support from O’Hara and McCann, the familial interactions are touching and tender, making their plight all the more heart-wrenching; one scene in which Molly refuses to visit her father is especially devastating. Aside from the flashback sequences, which are jarringly edited and spliced in abruptly, this material is handled well, with the audience being under no illusions regarding Gary’s guilt or intentions, a nice change from the usual suspense-driven arcs typical in these stories.
Unfortunately, the rest of the narrative is lacklustre compared to the focal point. Given how Sandra enlists the help of the community in her venture, there ought to be more attention to detail regarding specific characters; only Peggy and Aido (Conleth Hill), the foreman in charge of the site, have meaningful interactions with Sandra, but neither seem to have any relevance outside of their acquaintance with her. Commentary on the state of Dublin’s housing is similarly underdeveloped, failing to tackle the economic struggle facing lower-class people with any specificity or rigour. The second act in particular has a more leisurely tone, posing a problem when the stakes need to be raised; rather than being organic, plot developments are manufactured and contrived, resulting in jarring tonal shifts and a slew of clichés.
Lloyd, with only Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady to her name in terms of filmography, doesn’t possess the nuance or nous to handle this material effectively. In a largely anonymous effort, in which there’s no distinctive aesthetic or style, her most notable contribution is the appalling use of contemporary pop songs; as The Killers’ ‘Run for Cover’ and David Guetta’s ‘Titanium’ are played during a montage, it’s hard not to cringe at such painfully on-the-nose inclusions. It’s symptomatic of a film that, for all the good intentions, falls into a trap of trading subtlety for predictability, neglecting valuable debates for more basic story beats. As Sandra knows all too well, houses – and people to a similar extent – are built brick by brick; Herself, whilst possessing the solid foundations, lacks some of the furnishings.