Pretty Persuasion is both fun and not, all at once
I watched Pretty Persuasion
yesterday, and I'm still kind of stunned. I thought I'd be ready to
post today, but I don't know where to begin. So maybe I'll begin with
that point: I think the filmmaker wants us to be left somewhat
speechless by the end of this film. It's the kind of film that drags
your loyalties and emotions all over the place. Just when you think you
know what's happening and what the motivations are, you're as duped by
15-year-old Kimberly (the main character) as her friends and the adults
in her life are.
The film is a classic black comedy. For the most part, it is an upbeat,
fun film, and I found myself enjoying it very much. At the same time, I
couldn't shake the Shakespearean sense of impending doom, which slowly
builds before descending over you. It's like a storm that you can
clearly see approaching from behind, but you're determined to face the
sun and stay ahead of it, as if you can outrun it. In this film, you
clearly cannot.
The most engaging characters are the smartest and also the saddest. As
they manipulate you, you're simultaneously pulled all over by the
film's non-linear format, which feeds you information by the spoonful
(and not necessarily when you need it most). Again, this is obviously
part of the filmmaker's plan. And just when I thought every ounce of
sympathy had been drained from my being, I found myself feeling
empathy. It's hard not to, in the end, when you find yourself faced
with jealousy, prejudice, neglect, selfishness and greed--a handful of
the most powerful forces that make our world a less-than-perfect place.