tribeca: “At a time when modest, unshowy naturalism has become the prevailing standard in Amer

tribeca:

“At a time when modest, unshowy naturalism has become the prevailing standard in American screen acting, it takes plenty of gumption, ceaseless commitment, and considerable skill for a performer to experiment with heightened affectation like Elisabeth Moss does throughout Alex Ross Perry’s Her Smell. As Becky Something, the self-absorbed and rapidly self-annihilating frontwoman of a ‘90s punk rock band, Moss, one of the greatest and gamest actors working today, is unintimidated by the daunting task laid out before her: vivifying a downward spiral, a rock bottom, and a rise towards redemption in a genre by now prone to all sorts of clichés. Without descending into hamminess, Moss performs like she is unafraid to be caught acting, a decision completely in tune with a character who is herself a shameless exhibitionist. The actress illustrates Becky’s unnerving and alienating behavior with a level of raw excess that is downright courageous, whether smothering those around her with motormouthed verbosity or else driving them away with brutal physicality, reveling in their repulsion with a lip-licking smear. Moss trusts us to understand that Becky’s showboating is a defense against vulnerability, which only makes the film’s latter passages, in which Moss’ mannered approach grows softer but no less engaging as the newly-sober Becky finds salvation in those she loved and let down, all the more poignant. With gentle and prudent simplicity, Moss turns an unexpected piano cover of a soppy ‘80s power ballad into one of the year’s most ineffably moving moments. Scaling back the nervy theatrics that came earlier, Moss allows us to see behind the façade and into the soul of the woman who still dreams she might one day feel whole. This is film acting as a high-wire balancing act and a feat of artistic daring quite unlike anything being attempted in contemporary cinema. After years of amplifying character arcs on the small screen, the combined force of Moss’ craft and conviction provide the movies with the fierce jolt they desperately needed.

In the same film, Agyness Deyn offers ideal and indispensable support as Becky’s bandmate Marielle, a secondary character that the actress renders as nothing less than a complete person fostering her own dependencies and deep-seated disappointments. The directness of Deyn’s playing allows ‘Mari’ to function as an eagle-eyed audience surrogate to Becky’s shenanigans as well as her most compassionate critic. That last role may sound like a paradox but Deyn gives it credibility, never more so than when wringing all the honest-to-God sincerity she can out of a line as potentially hollow as ‘You were horrible but it never made me not love you.’ The actress delivers even this confession with calm conviction, staring deep into the eyes of the broken-down friend seated before her, speaking matter-of-factly in a voice unclouded by condescension. Deyn not only makes us believe the line, but the glimmers of faith and forgiveness she feeds into it make us believe in Becky, too.” — Matthew Eng

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(Source:TribecaFilm.com)