43/31

Greetings from the dark again

Line of Events

A mosaic-style comedy that follows a woman’s life as time passes in her long-term casual BDSM relationship, low-level corporate job, and bickering Jewish family. Anna’s parents.. It’s billed as a comedy, though for many the most entertaining part may be trying to remember the title of the film. Deadpan reaches a new level in this feature debut from actor, writer, director, producer, and editor Joanna Arnow.

or even someone who has

It’s hard to think of any film that belongs more to one person. Independent filmmaker Miranda July’s work is the closest I can think of to mainstream Spielberg, but by comparison, hers is closer to mainstream Spielberg than Ms. Arnow’s work. None of this is meant to be harsh, it’s simply a challenge to describe this film to anyone who hasn’t seen it…

Here we learn that she is 33 and has been Allen’s submissive since she was 24

The film is divided into five chapters, each named after the key “other” character (Ann). Arnow plays Ann, and the opening scene finds her in bed with the much older Allen (Scott Cohen). In fact, two chapters are called “Allen,” and Ann even suggests that they were “destined to be together.” She makes this statement after several attempts to try out the modern approach to dating, each of which creates complications for her. These ventures are presented as vignettes and include a musician, a sleepover with her sister, a role-playing customer, matches on a dating app, and a movie buff with a love of pickled herring.

You begin to see Anna’s personalitya little less than you remember

To make matters worse, these interactions provide a certain symmetry to Anna’s soulless job at a generic corporation. Imagine being rewarded with an annual recognition after working there for over three years. Ann is languid and grumpy, and her deadpan delivery masks a sharp wit and a spark that rarely reaches others. As she begins to form a more traditional relationship with Chris (Babak Tafti, “Billions”), her path to self-discovery seems to open up…

though that path may or may not surprise you at this point

Some of the vignettes are shockingly brief, and many show Ann in a state of (literally) exposed vulnerability. As the vignettes pass, watching is no different than scrolling through a news feed. Joanna Arnow’s real-life parents (David Arnow, Barbara Weiserbs) play her parents here, and sing the only raised voices in the film when they sing an animated version of “Solidarity.” And no, Anna’s relationship with her parents isn’t all that different from the rest of her life. At times, this “comedy” It feels like a defeat, but it teaches us one key life lesson: be careful the first time you ask, “What college did you go to?” It opens April 26, 2024.