WOMAN OF THE HOUR: The Right Focus

One of my favorite things to do when I find out that an actor is moving into the directors chair is to watch the movie and do nothing but talk complete and udder smack about it the entire runtime. To make fun of every aspect and be sarcastic about every creative choice from the shot selection to the editing style, right down to the music and the actors chosen. This is not going to be that, there is literally nothing bad I can say about Anna Kendrick‘s directorial debut Woman of The Hour. From the opening scene the only thought that I had was, she (Kendrick) has completely nailed this. It was incredible.

Woman of The Hour is a faithful retelling of a heinous series of crimes that took place in the seventies perpetrated by Rodney Alcala (played with a subtle brilliance in this film by Daniel Zovatto). It stars Tony Hale, Pete Holmes, Zovatto, and Anna Kendrick, from a script written by Ian McDonald and directed by Kendrick. The story centers around Alcala and an appearance he made on The Dating Game after he was already an established murderer. Of course no one knew that at the time and footage of his very real appearance on that show can be found online with just a few clicks. After knowing what we know now and watching this film, the real life footage of that game show is hauntingly creepy.

She Got It Right

Usually when a movie comes out based on a series of true crimes, the killer is hoisted up front and center. They are used to elevate the film and are often the centerpiece, from the action all the way to the very title of the movie. Zodiac, Ted Bundy, the list goes on and on. That isn’t the case here, from the start of the film to it’s conclusion it’s made clear that this isn’t a movie about a killer (his name is only ever even spoken once or twice) this is a film about the unfortunate victims of a madman, and they are the star. Even the title of the film excludes him and focuses on one of his targets. It was refreshing to see that, not the usual glamorizing of a killer of women and children that Hollywood so often produces.

Kendrick plays Sheryl, the actual woman of the hour on that particular episode of The Dating Game and the story focuses on her and her struggles trying to break into the acting business in Hollywood. She gives a perfect performance while juggling the triple duty of acting, directing and producing. She wore many hats with this and pulled off each of them with a grace and finesse that made it look easy. As a director I found her to have a very specific shot style and selection, the  camera was always very interesting and the way she transitioned from scene to scene, while not completely original, had a flair that was uniquely hers. She’s going to do big things in the directors chair- if she wants to.

The Rest Of The Story

This film was quite beautiful to look at even through the lens of terrible tragedy. The seventies look and feel were everywhere and felt very real from the sets to the costumes, to the vehicles and the chosen soundtrack, all of it. Everything came across and helped to transport me back to a time that I was not yet alive for. Coupled with the tension that the film was able to capture so perfectly (it just kept ramping up) it all worked to tell a story that is very much of its time. Every actor involved gave performances that were believable and nuanced, each of them having to inhabit the skin of a person who lived through this time, some of which are still living.

The choice of focusing on the victims and the surrounding tales rather than sensationalizing the life and acts of yet another serial killer was a refreshing take and something I was happy it decided to do. It not only made the victims lives feel important but it also captured what it was like (and let’s face it, what it is still very much like) to be a woman in an industry driven by men who think that they are the be all, end all when it comes to the importance of status. They demonstrated this expertly (in my opinion) when as part of the game Kendrick‘s character asked the question “what is a woman for?” The fact that the contestants had trouble answering was a brilliant touch that just drove that point home.

That’s A Wrap

Woman of The Hour did an amazing job of capturing a time and place while still keeping it relevant for today’s world. It isn’t something that’s easy to do and here it was spot on. This is a fantastic first outing for a director (Kendrick) who has already been established as a fun and bubbly comedic actor. I don’t know what it is about actors and comedians who move from the sunny and funny side of things only to go on to write and/or direct horror movies but it always works out so well. Jordan Peele has a quote that says “the only difference between a comedic scene and a horror scene is the music” and I have to say, that seems right.

This is a film that needs to be seen and since it is on Netflix it is very easily available. Everyone involved put together something that for once doesn’t feel exploitative and actually has a good underlying message. It also wasn’t just a cash grab for Kendrick who took every cent that she made from doing this film and donated it to charities that are set up to help the victims of sexual assault. Just looking at it from every angle there is nothing bad I can say here. You just have to give it a watch.

Woman of the Hour is streaming on Netflix.