Whatever angle you look at it, Miller’s Girl is a classic guilty pleasure. A story of endless blurred lines resulting in an entirely different kind of heartbreak, proving one singular fact – oh, what an intoxicating, shining topic is infatuation.
The opening sequence and subsequent expository scenes must be praised for the way they set an intriguing tone and introduces its characters, as well as a style and voice that acts as a driving force from scene to scene. Jenna Ortega’s accent work is immediately striking, with impeccable toned delivery and her character single-handedly draws us in with an utterly natural performance, surrounded by an infectious aura of confidence. She captures us completely within moments, sealing the deal with an unexplainable brightness which dances across her face with exceptional talent other critics may mistakably describe as ease.
This part is perfect for Jenna Ortega. The mind struggles not to drift back to her appearance in X or, Netflix series, YOU, draw a direct line between that and this performance and label it “casting’s train of thought”. A few more steps back and a growing picture begins to develop. Echoing from distant corners of the mind, Ortega can be heard in her Hot Ones interview with Sean Evans, discussing her connection with literature and writing. Can someone say a match made in heaven?!
The language used is particular. Untamed but with stunning precision, building an underlying sense of beautiful chaos that arguably defines this cinematic experience. Words and language being a key theme in this film, use of an inner-monologue style narration, a warm blanket laid over the already cleverly written dialogue and screenplay, brings full depth and form to the project. Taking that final step into art that articulates feeling, the film is soundtracked perfectly in a way that allows us to feel a build of tension and quite literally hear hope. Everything, said and unsaid, is done so loudly, with full chest.
Immediately relationships are a forefront drive to the narrative, care just as much as love, intertwined interwoven connection. The question of morals when it comes to maturity is so faint it’s almost a gimmick. Having said that, Miller’s Girl establishes the intended sensual nature as the norm early on but there remains a strange kind of sweetness highlighted with music and subtle costume design. A stimulating depiction, beautifully academic in its aesthetic only, but lacking on the physical level in the storyline, with stunning compositions that encourage me to ponder the meaning or feeling of the colour green. Use of levels show hierarchy and perspective, depictions of sways and changes, a light filter of darkness over it, the sexy kind, the kind that emphasises but remains truthful, dramatic, delicate.
We follow the narrative through a very zoomed in view of this world, where her fixated perspective becomes our own. A small inner circle of characters engaged in truly enigmatic behaviour make for a uniquely enjoyable watching experience, unable to predict, even for a single second, what is going to happen next. The exceptional talent of this cast allows for the impressive display of the splendour that can be achieved in seeming simplicity.
Unfortunately, no matter the fourth walls and invisible boundaries that it manages to break down, the flaws of the film lie in a feeling of holding back. With all that it achieves it seems to plateau steadily immediately following its climax. It gets too simple. The pace quickens without the anticipation or tension that were promised in the trailer and teased towards the beginning of the film, almost like they’re rushing towards the end.
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