Kajillionaire
Miranda July's crime caper Kajillionaire is a captivating blast with a trio of wonderful performances, unique humour and an unrecognisable turn from Evan Rachel Wood.
July's film, from the outset and throughout, stores such a unique and abstract inclination of humour so incredibly tender and niche it's almost as if it is crafted to be in its own distinct world of comedy. Think Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket meets Jared Hess' Napoleon Dynamite, but even when the similarity of themes and depiction of dry humour are clear, this is undoubtedly a Miranda July film, and one that is exceptionally apt.
For starters, the performances within Kajillionaire are utterly fabulous. This is an incredibly dry and abstract piece of material from writer/director Miranda July, and the final product arguably rests on the cast to do justice to the material. Thankfully, the film is cast with utter perfection. Not only does the film entail an unrecognisable Evan Rachel Wood in an emotionally withdrawn and slacker inspired performance as Old Dolio, it also showcases a different dramatic edge to the work audiences have seen from Gina Rodriguez. Wood, however, is outstanding; her's is a character rotting within from the lack of care, love and adoration. Slowly becoming disillusioned with her parents – played by the wonderful Debra Winger and Richard Jenkins – output on life. Wood provides an internally distraught but ever so underlined uplifting character fitting. One that slowly but surely blossoms and is crafted in such a unique manner of expression mixed between Slacker and Bill + Ted.
Don't be fooled with the comedic description and comparisons, either. The amalgamation spliced together works in a compelling effectiveness. It may be a colder take but within that reluctance of Wood's character helps blossom a more deeply profound arc. On first glance, it is relatively easy to place a one-note description on Gina Rodriguez's Melanie, a character that plays not too dissimilar to the "dumb-blonde" cinematic stereotype. July, however, puts a subverted spin on this character, not only to elevate the material at hand but further provide material for Rodriguez, who, in turn, crafts a touching performance. Rodriguez's Melanie is harmonious with Woods' Old Dolio in regards to their predicament and loss of connection. How the two characters intertwine and ultimately develop in such a sweet and enticing manner against a common enemy of both loss and undervalue is poignant to behold.
