It's March, the time of year when an unexpected blizzard might blow through, and, at the same time, your garden might bloom. It's also the month of my birthday, which means I'm more likely to go to the movies than any other time of the year. The plan was actually to see three movies in one day like I did a couple of years ago, but I decided to spread it out this time. Due to a chilly, lovely rain that lasted close to 24 hours, I almost didn't go out at all, but in the end I dragged my boyfriend to a 9:40pm showing of Greta, because I'll be damned if I didn't seem something on my special day.
Greta might not seem like an obvious choice, and it doesn't appear to be a very popular film to begin with, nor is it getting particularly good reviews. Granted, Captain Marvel is currently on the tip of everyone's tongue, and Us if officially dropping today, not to mention Lego Movie 2 has been out for a few weeks now (I have plans to see all of these shortly). That being said, you know me (maybe), and I can't resist this premise:
Frances (Chloe Grace Moretz) a young Bostonian waitress living in New York with her friend Erica (Maika Monroe), finds a handbag stranded on the subway. Reluctant, but ultimately a good samaritan, she decides to pick it up and return it to its rightful owner. Unfortunately, Greta (Isabelle Huppert) is the woman in question. Seemingly just a lonely woman living on her own, Frances befriends her. Greta is a widow whose daughter lives abroad, and Frances lost her mother the previous year, so it seems like a natural connection. Her friend Erica thinks it's weird, but Erica also comes off as a selfish party girl, so we should just ignore her.
And then...
Oh shit, Erica was right! When Frances discovers that Greta routinely leaves handbags on the subway as a ploy to lure people to her house, she cuts her off. Or tries to. Greta quickly turns dangerous, waiting outside Frances' workplace for hours, calling her nonstop, following her friend around New York (one of the best scenes throughout the film, in my opinion), culminating in a traumatizing ordeal.
*Some Spoilers*
Two of Greta's downfalls are the performance of Moretz, whose acting has never truly blossomed (she's not atrocious, but her acting often comes off like she's...acting, rather than fully adopting her role), and her character's poor decisions. That's a typical trope of any scary film, however: when fleeing from an assailant, the victim makes almost laughably bad choices. My reaction is always the same: finish the job, then you don't have to worry about them coming after you. Logical, right? In this situation, Frances manages to attack Greta with quite some force, but she doesn't stick around to make sure that Greta is no longer a threat. Maybe there's a moral aspect here, but dude, just do it. Psychopaths don't get concussions or serious injuries, they just bounce back like a brand new tennis ball and hit you square in the face.
On the other hand, I truly enjoyed Huppert's performance, who seamlessly encompassed the role of a psychopath with a lonely charm. You can see how she might easily make new friends, but also lose them just as quickly.
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed Greta. It won't make it into my top ten list of favorite scary movies, but it's a worthy addition to the genre.
My Grade: B
And then...
Oh shit, Erica was right! When Frances discovers that Greta routinely leaves handbags on the subway as a ploy to lure people to her house, she cuts her off. Or tries to. Greta quickly turns dangerous, waiting outside Frances' workplace for hours, calling her nonstop, following her friend around New York (one of the best scenes throughout the film, in my opinion), culminating in a traumatizing ordeal.
*Some Spoilers*
Two of Greta's downfalls are the performance of Moretz, whose acting has never truly blossomed (she's not atrocious, but her acting often comes off like she's...acting, rather than fully adopting her role), and her character's poor decisions. That's a typical trope of any scary film, however: when fleeing from an assailant, the victim makes almost laughably bad choices. My reaction is always the same: finish the job, then you don't have to worry about them coming after you. Logical, right? In this situation, Frances manages to attack Greta with quite some force, but she doesn't stick around to make sure that Greta is no longer a threat. Maybe there's a moral aspect here, but dude, just do it. Psychopaths don't get concussions or serious injuries, they just bounce back like a brand new tennis ball and hit you square in the face.
On the other hand, I truly enjoyed Huppert's performance, who seamlessly encompassed the role of a psychopath with a lonely charm. You can see how she might easily make new friends, but also lose them just as quickly.
Despite its flaws, I enjoyed Greta. It won't make it into my top ten list of favorite scary movies, but it's a worthy addition to the genre.
My Grade: B
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