AFI FEST 2020: I’m Your Woman
afi fest 2020In a time with countless new voices and filmmakers on the rise, one of the more interesting filmographies has been director Julia Hart's. Each of her films — from Fast Color to Star Girl — has felt distinct and unique, with her newest feature I'm Your Woman, which debuted as part of the 2020 AFI Film Festival, continuing this direction. Following a young woman named Jean (Rachel Brosnahan) who gets thrown into a fight for survival as she and her child has to flee their lives after her husband falls onto the bad side of a dangerous group of individuals, Hart has crafted an intense thriller which is more action packed and haunting than anything Hart has directed up to this point.
Even with the film being completely unique to what Julia Hart has created so far, Hart shows no need for a learning curve, crafting not just a competent but genuinely stressful thriller in the best of ways. I'm Your Woman throws Jean and the audience into the deep end of the pool, creating an overwhelming sense of danger. It is unclear who is to be feared and it feels like any development could lead to peril. It is overwhelming and stressful, bringing audiences onto the edge of their seats waiting for something to go wrong. The film drags this tension out in a skillful manner, building and building until all hell breaks loose in a satisfying matter.
Not only does the direction from Julia Hart build this tension but the acting from Rachel Brosnahan also works wonders. Brosnahan has no easy task in her portrayal of Jean; this is a character who undergoes a drastic fundamental change over the course of the film's runtime. which requires an incredible amount of understanding and craft from Brosnahan who completely lives up to this challenge. She is authentic yet also works in the larger lore and cinematic context of the film and where her character ends up feeling like the perfect blend of real person and movie character. In supporting roles, Marsha Stephanie Blake and Arinzé Kene also are skillful in their ties between Jean, and the darker underbelly of the world that the film takes place in also increases the presence of the threat in subtle ways.
The use of the 1970's aesthetic also helps the film stand as one of the better period pieces of the year so far. Even if the attitude of the film is unique as a period piece being an action thriller, the production design by Gae S. Buckley and costume design by Natalie O'Brien are clear standouts. The film subtly captures the spirit and attitude of this time period in ways that naturally enhance the plot and further sucks the audience in without falling for clichés or losing focus. This type of exploration of motherhood and women rising to the circumstance against all odds thrives in this setting and the social roles they were expected to fill at the time. Had the film been set in the gender equality conscious society of today, it would have felt over the top and artificial.
The only flaws within I'm Your Woman is simply some of its pacing. This is a film that has a circular plot that often repeats itself, which can grow a bit dull. The tension is always there, but it does feel like the screenplay could have been cleaned up a bit and there could have been a greater sense of urgency in finding the deeper messages within the film. That deeper context, whilst clearly present, also isn't anything super notable or memorable. I'm Your Woman is clearly a film that is designed to put style first, with substance coming in as a narrative backbone that is present but never the focus. Because of this, by design, it is hard to say that the film will stick with most audiences past that of being a strong and grounded thriller.
Julia Hart has once again proven not just her talent but also her range as a filmmaker. With I’m Your Woman, she steps up to the plate and immediately knocks it out of the park when it comes to tension and thrills being one of the better pieces of the genre from the year so far. With a feminist backbone, it is hard not to recommend the film and where it might not enter the best of the year conversation, it certainty is a worthwhile viewing experience.
