NIGHTBITCH at AFI Fest
by William J. Hammon ( ActuallyPaid.com)
Stories about the difficulties of motherhood are nothing new. Whether it’s something comedic like Look Who’s Talking, sincere like Tully, or downright scary like The Babadook, the well of plots dealing with how hard maternal life can be is deep and rich. Add Nightbitch to that list. Written and directed by Marielle Heller ( Can You Ever Forgive Me?, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood), the film is a genuinely fun mix of feminist humor and body horror, led by Amy Adams in one of her finest performances yet.
Adams plays a nameless suburban mom to a two-year-old son. Pointedly, neither she, her husband played by Scoot McNairy, nor her child are given names, a seeming jab at the Bechdel Test as the measuring stick for feminist agency in movies. A former artist before she got pregnant, “Mother” feels exhausted and underappreciated, trying to take care of an uncontrollable toddler and manage her home while “Husband” is away on business for several days at a time. When he is around, he’d rather complain about minor imperfections or play video games than give his wife the support she needs. Her situation isn’t made any more helpful by the trio of other moms (three of the four named characters) at the shared activities she attends with her child, like story-time at the library. They only remind her of how tenuous her grip on reality is.
To further illustrate that point, Adams’ character starts exhibiting some odd physical and behavioral changes. Her sense of smell becomes more attuned. Neighborhood dogs follow her around and even leave her offerings of dead animals on her porch. She becomes openly hostile to her cat. She even discovers new white hairs all over her body, and a cyst on her lower back turns out to be the beginnings of a tail. She is transforming into a canine herself, allowing her to reclaim her individuality, be seen as the desirable creature she is, and live by her more animalistic instincts, at least in small doses.
Heller’s script is often hilarious, with biting dialogue and really well-crafted jokes, and of course Adams is a powerhouse. She’s been nominated for an Oscar six times, and I’m sure there will be an aggressive campaign for this to be number seven. Like Glenn Close, one has to wonder what more she can do to finally get the damn prize, because without her, this film doesn’t work. As I said, these types of flicks are a dime a dozen, as is the visual metaphor of bestial transformation to demonstrate bodily changes. Hell, we had Tiger Stripes at last year’s AFI Fest featuring that exact element in regards to puberty. But Adams takes this combination and makes it close to amazing through the sheer force of her ability.
Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on November 15, 2024.
