Tag Archives: Rose Glass

Cinema, horror, Reviews

CINEMA REVIEW: LOVE LIES BLEEDING (2024)

4 Comments

CINEMA REVIEW: LOVE LIES BLEEDING (2024)

Directed by Rose Glass

Written by Rose Glass & Weronika Tofilska

Produced by Andrea Cornwell & Oliver Kassman

Main Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, Ed Harris, etc.

Cinematography by Ben Fordesman

*** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS ***

Rose Glass’ debut feature film Saint Maud (2019), was one of my films of the year when released a few years ago. It was such a haunting horror and character study of one woman’s ascent into heavenly insanity. If Saint Maud (2019) borrowed heavily from Paul Schrader’s scripts such as Taxi Driver (1976), and First Reformed (2017), Glass’ second “difficult” feature film, Love Lies Bleeding (2024) owes much to the Coen Brothers darker feature films, dashes of David Lynch and the gritty bite of Jim Thompson’s noir stories.

Set in 1989, Kristen Stewart, portrays mulleted-Lou, a gym manager who kind of drifts along without a plan. Estranged from her gangster father, also named, Lou (Ed Harris), their connected past haunts her as she strives to escape his criminal influence. Into Lou’s humdrum existence comes the muscular chaos of Jackie (Katy O’Brian). Seeking her fortune as a competitive bodybuilder, a broke and homeless Jackie, attaches herself to Lou and they begin a lusty relationship. This passion and the constant sex consequently twists into what one could even call love.

As their alliance pulses on screen, Lou has further family woes to deal with because her sister, Beth, (Jena Malone) lives in constant fear of domestic violence from her husband, J.J. (Dave Franco). Further, Lou strives to help Jackie’s muscle dream by feeding her steroids from the gym dealer. But this backfires when a drug-induced Jackie commits a violent crime which Lou feels bound to try and cover up. Here the various narrative elements and characters, Glass and co-writer, Weronika Tofilska, establish begin to flail for me. While Jackie has a clear narrative goal, Lou’s character is reactive in dealing with the bloody mess created by others. This creates a divergent split of psychologies in the plotting, that Glass’s energetic direction cannot coalesce.

In terms of genre elements involving same-sex romance, brutal violence and crime, Love Lies Bleeding (2024) also owes much to the far superior, Bound (1996) directed by The Wachowskis. That is not to say Glass’ film is without merit. It is just a bit of a hot mess of plot and themes and tonal lurches which do not work as a whole. Indeed, it feels at times there are two scripts pulped together which constantly push back against each other. I would have gone with the bodybuilding story as the main focus. Plus, so many characters makes dumb decisions in, Love Lies Bleeding (2024), I just gave up caring. Still, there is some decent violence, a smattering of gallows humour, and magnetic work from Stewart and Harris (of course). Finally, the ultra-talented Rose Glass gives us some fantastically directed visuals which deserved a less smudgy and more coherent screenplay.

Mark: 7 out of 11

Cinema, New Releases, Reviews

CINEMA REVIEW – SAINT MAUD (2019)

5 Comments

CINEMA REVIEW – SAINT MAUD (2019)

Directed by: Rose Glass

Produced by: Andrea Cornwell, Oliver Kassman

Written by: Rose Glass

Cast: Morfydd Clark, Jennifer Ehle, Lily Knight, Lily Frazer, Turlough Convery, Rosie Sansom, Marcus Hutton  

Music by: Adam Janota Bzowski

Cinematography: Ben Fordesman

***MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS***

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. . .” – Matthew 7:15

Also, beware of false praise from film reviewers! Because over the years I’ve often seen hyperbolic notices about films that after seeing them I wonder if I’ve been watching the same thing. Of course, any kind of review is subjective, and we cannot all like the same thing, but sometimes so-called critics rave about a cinema release for reasons I just don’t get. It could be that they genuinely like the film or are attempting to promote it on a personal or corporate level for some incestuous allegiance to the filmmaker or studio. They could even have been paid for the positive words. The latter is unlikely, but possible. Anyhow, everyone’s entitled to their opinion.

So, when I saw the glowing notices for Rose Glass’ psychological character study, Saint Maud (2019), I was initially sceptical. Thankfully after watching it at the Curzon cinema at the weekend, I concur with many of the raving critics. The film is a thoroughly absorbing and compelling exploration of religious mania, alienation, and mental breakdown. Moreover, Rose Glass, on her directorial feature debut deserves much praise for crafting a stunningly disturbing journey of one individual’s search for the Lord Almighty and rapturous redemption. Only to reveal, in Maud, a troubled outsider and lost soul, completely at odds with the people around her and society as a whole.

Saint Maud (2019) – directed by Rose Glass

Morfydd Clark is absolutely spellbinding as the lead character. In fact, she inhabits both elements of protagonist and antagonist in this jagged narrative. Sadly, Maud becomes her own worst enemy as the film progresses. Her job as a nurse has connotations of angels and heroines, but eventually travels an alternative path. The film opens with flashes of a tragedy which has occurred at the hospital where Maud works. These events will haunt Maud like a psychological millstone; dragging her toward darkness while she seeks enlightenment. Rapidly quickening forward we then find Maud in private medical employment caring for former famed choreographer portrayed by Jennifer Ehle.

Ehle, as Amanda, gives an impressive rendition of a dying bitter woman; full of spite, bravado and fear as she nears the end of her life. Not that that stops Amanda from smoking, drinking and partying, much to the pious Maud’s displeasure. The two divergent personalities clash constantly as Maud takes it upon herself to be Amanda’s saviour. This ultimately becomes an obsessive crusade by Maud, no doubt in an attempt to find peace and redemption following the tragedy in her prior job. Such is the power of Maud and Amanda’s complex relationship of warring opposites, Saint Maud (2019) suffers minor dramatic inertia when Maud goes off the rails toward the end of the second act. Nonetheless, Glass is cleverly building Maud’s turmoil before bringing Ehle’s character back in the shocking and memorable final scenes.

Saint Maud (2019), overall, is an exceptionally well-crafted low budget work of British cinema. It is more than just a calling card for the extremely talented director, Rose Glass. Her grasp of the material is superb and the cinematography and shot composition support her dark vision brilliantly. The film may disappoint those who prefer conventional supernatural films, as it is more arthouse than classic horror. Moreover, it has much in common with searing character studies by Paul Schrader, such as Taxi Driver (1976), and the more recent, First Reformed (2017). Indeed, Maud’s voiceover permeates like a prayer to an empty sky bleeding into the powerful imagery to compelling effect. The true horror of Saint Maud (2019) is not in jump scares or one-dimensional monsters, but rather the slow descent into hell by a character who strives to be a saviour. Tragically though, Maud is a self-appointed Angel, whose mental fragility disintegrates under the weight of holy desire and biblical fervour.

Mark: 9 out of 11