“Black Bear” was one of the more original entries at this past January.’s Sundance Film Festival Festival. In my B- review I wrote about how its strong second half compensated for its weak initial hour. Also, Aubrey Plaza can do no wrong in my books, she’s such a pleasure to watch in practically anything she does:
“Aubrey Plaza fans rejoice, the indie actress gives one of the best performances of her career in Lawrence Michael Levine’s “Black Bear.” In a dual role that not only stretches her depths as an actress, but shows off considerable artful vulnerability — the “Ingrid Goes West” actress is nothing short of stunning. Too bad the movie itself, split into two parts, a high-wire act of gonzo filmmaking, takes so many risks that it all eventually ends up feeling like overkill. Both halves in “Black Bear” are set in a remote lake house; the first part has a filmmaker (Plaza) Airbnb-ing a lodge whose married tenants (played by Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gavron), already in a marital crisis, are shaken up by her flirtatious presence. The second half, the stronger section, has the roles reversed, as the lodge turns into a movie set with filmmaker (Abbott) and actress (Plaza and Gavron) engaging in a battle of wits. It’s a dysfunctional war of camaraderie as artist and muse try to one-up each other in twisted fashion, that is until tragedy strikes. The frenetic handheld camerawork, courtesy of DP wizard Rob Leitzell, livens up the stakes and offers up a few hypnotic passages here and there. However, the stylized nature of the film eventually becomes a distraction, because the story itself is more flash than substance. Watching “Black Bear” requires stamina as the viewer ultimately feels pummeled by the filmmaking. However, it’s Plaza who keeps your eyes glued to the screen — she’s an unmissable treat: sexy, provocative and ready to blow up.”
“Black Bear” is set to arrive on December 4. You can watch the trailer below.