If you think you have a conventional film in front of you, you are very wrong, because A promising woman, the first film written and directed by Emerald Fennell, La Camilla di The Crown that for this work she took home the Oscar for the best original screenplay, it is so unsettling that the new one could very well be greeted Gone Girl, one of the most debated and “word of mouth” films of the last decade. After having bewitched the US critics, who saw a manifesto linked to a revenge of the female gender after centuries of abuse and complaints strangled in the throat, the film arrives (finally) in Italy in cinemas on May 13, ready to immerse the viewer in a story that starts from a strong premise, which may even seem predictable, to then take a completely different path and leave everyone a bit stunned.
First of all, the promising woman referred to in the title is Cassie, a medical student in gambissima who seemed to have a smooth future in front of her but who, due to a traumatic event, decided to revolutionize her life to achieve only one thing: justice. In fact, when she was in college, her best friend Nina was abused by a classmate while she was drunk: no one ever believed her version, to the point of pushing Cassie, played by a very good Carey Mullighan, an actress who, after having played somewhat cuddly and ethereal characters like the Daisy of Great Gatsby, brings out not only her nails but her sex appeal as well (with all due respect to the critic of Variety Dennis Harvey, crucified on social media for writing that he is not entirely convinced of the protagonist’s sensuality) to implement a small revenge: once a week she walks into a club, pretends to be at the mercy of alcohol and waits for a guy – it always happens – to pick her up, take her home and prepare to take advantage of her semi-conscious state to have sex with her. It’s just a pity that Cassie has no intention of falling into the trap, waking up, showing herself very lucid and forcing the boy to back off and acknowledge the guilt he was about to stain.
Things get complicated when she meets Ryan (Bo Burnham), an old mate from medical school, who warns her that Al (Chris Lowell), the guy who took advantage of Nina, is about to get married. The news will lead Cassie to transform into Black Mamba and put into practice a plan of revenge to ensure that all the culprits of that night, from the lawyer who blackmailed Nina to make her withdraw the complaint to the companion who did not believe her version, finally pay for what they did. At this point A promising woman, that we already understood that it was not a romantic comedy, turns into a thriller of which we anticipate nothing but warn you to keep strong and prepare for everything. The film, which was shot in just 23 days counting on very saturated colors and on a pop-indie soundtrack (to report an instrumental and slowed version of Toxic by Britney Spears), leaves several questions unanswered: How much has the weight of a woman’s rape charge changed in recent years? Is there any possibility of redemption on the part of the executioners and persecutors? Can revenge really heal a wound or can it only give us back a momentary well-being, as satisfying as it is fleeting? For better or for worse, A promising woman is a film that will make you leave the room probably displaced, leading you to question yourself about what you have seen and want to discuss it with friends to find out their idea about it. Exactly what cinema should do.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
