Black Bear
momentumLawrence Michael Levine isn’t exactly a household name, but his new directorial feature, Black Bear, is sure to bring him to the forefront of up and coming indie filmmakers. Black Bear is a film of two distinct parts – the first chapter features an indie director, Aubrey Plaza, taking up residence in a remote lake house to find inspiration for her next script. Whilst there, she is kept company by the owners, a married and irritatingly argumentative duo, played by Sarah Gadon and Christopher Abbott. It’s not long before things spiral out of control, with jealousy and lust combined, for a climactic and sudden end to this part of the story.
The second chapter comes to play as an obvious twist, but a welcome one. It turns out that Plaza is in reality an actress called Allison, starring alongside Gadon’s Blair with both being directed by Allison’s husband, Gabe – unsurprisingly, Abbott. This half brings in a whole new host of characters, in the form of crew members working on the film, creating a stark contrast to what came before.
At first glance, it seems obvious that the first part is directed by Gabe. However, there are several glaringly obvious differences between what the audience was shown and what Gabe is filming. Actors are playing the wrong parts – in the real world, Plaza is playing a role similar to the one Gadon had played earlier, and the plot may seem different, whilst also being somewhat the same. It’s an unusual strategy, one that may not be as effective as Levine is hoping, mainly for the fact it’s hard to tell his goal actually is. This is easily Black Bear’s weakest point – there’s nothing wrong with ambiguity, but with so many conflicting moments present, some sort of an explanation would have been welcome.
That point aside, Black Bear is a thoroughly entertaining film, which is also surprisingly funny. The core dynamic between the central trio is filled with tension and drama across its parts, but with the introduction of the supporting cast, there is a levity swathed over the film. Small cutaways of crew members making snarky comments or messing up are genuinely funny, probably even more so to people who have experience working on a film set.
Without a doubt, Black Bear is Aubrey Plaza’s show. Allison is the film’s most complex character, requiring Plaza to act across a whole range of emotions. Director Allison is typical Plaza, dry, witty and flippant and – of course – nails this part. When it comes to actress Allison, Plaza offers a side that she hasn’t shown before. She is fragile and tormented, with her whole life supposedly crumbling around her, but she attempts to soldier on. Plaza somehow manages to show the deterioration of Allison’s state of mind over the span of a mere hour, in a real and genuine way. Levine’s impressive new feature encompasses an equally impressive central performance and one of this year’s best.