I don’t know if you have favorite actors, but I do keep a running mental list of those few that I find gifted and talented.
In fact, that list also puts a little bit of influence on what movies I’ll review outside of the standard “must be a new release” criteria that fuels this column.
Still, there is really nothing more disappointing for me to have one of my favorite actors give their all to a struggling movie with a terribly disconnected storyline and a worse ending.
Honestly, when I saw the trailer in theaters several weeks ago, I had high hopes for Tessa Thompson in a semi-modern period drama role – she’s one of my favorite actors after all.
But, by the time I finished the Prime Video film in the comfort of my own home, I regretted all of my earlier enthusiasm and took to Google to see what the rest of American audiences were saying.
Oddly enough this is another of those instances where my review differs from the general public.
As of Monday afternoon, Rotten Tomatoes reviews have graded the flick favorably to a 90% “certified fresh” score.
For me, Thompson was the overall highlight of the movie followed by the haunting soundtrack score and opulent country estate setting – despite everything being shot in dimly lit rooms.
I mean, outside of the horribly lighting and the slow, convoluted storyline, I was able to hang in to the very bitter end.
I just can’t get past the ending that seems to refuse to tie back to the film’s opening sequence!
Hedda is an American drama film written and directed by Nia DaCosta, based on 1891’s “Hedda Gabler” by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.
Gabler dramatizes the experiences of the title character, Hedda, the daughter of a general, who is trapped in a marriage and a house that she does not want.
It’s worth noting that historically, some have described Gabler as a female variation on William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
Thompson stars in the title role as Hedda and is a producer on the film, with Imogen Poots, Tom Bateman, Nicholas Pinnock, and Nina Hoss in supporting roles.
Clocking in at 107 minutes long, the flick is rated R for sexual content, language, drug use and brief nudity.
The feature opens with Hedda Gabler Tesman (Thompson) being questioned by detectives about a shooting at her country estate.
Naturally, she feigns innocence and tries to play off having a fuzzy memory due to the party the night before.
But, the detectives push and she begrudgingly starts recounting the events leading up to the party.
Hedda and her husband George Tesman (Bateman) are in financial straits before the party and George is desperate to get a tenured professor position so they can start paying off their debts.
Apparently, George’s boss has a soft spot for “bohemian artists” like Hedda and George sternly reminds Hedda that she must perform her part as his wife perfectly.
Hedda is unfazed by his request, but notes how serious he is regarding the possibility of losing the house they’d spent so much money renovating.
That discussion sets the stage for plenty of drama, intrigue, backstabbing, manipulation and heartbreak just so that Hedda can keep her luxurious lifestyle despite not truly loving her husband.
And there’s no shortage of past and present lovers that orbit Hedda throughout the party!
Oh, it’s a messy and twisted tale but the ending is abrupt and really felt incomplete to me.
I may not be a fan, but you’re free to judge for yourself.
