by Robert Bouffard, Editor
Steven (Peter Dinklage) is an opera composer with writer’s block. His wife, Patricia (Anne Hathaway), used to be his therapist, and she recommends Steven get out of the house to let the fresh air, new sights, and people inspire him. “I bet every one of these people has a story for an opera in them,” Steven tells his dog on their walk, and this becomes the sort of guiding idea for the rest of the film.
She Came to Me is messy, and I don’t mean in its structure (though it is messy there, too) — it’s about the messiness of life, and the film isn’t afraid to confront the implications of exploring such ideas. Because what starts off seeming like a quirky romantic comedy with a bit more on its mind than your Notting Hills or Sleepless in Seattles quickly turns into a tangled web of characters and motivations.
Steven wants to find inspiration for his next opera; Patricia considers taking some drastic steps in her religious faith; Julian (Evan Ellison), Patricia’s high school-aged son from a previous relationship, wants to solve the world’s energy crisis with his girlfriend Tereza (Harlow Jane); Trey (Brian d’Arcy James), Tereza’s stepdad, is a Civil War reenactor who wants to take legal action against Julian because of some intimate photos of his and Tereza’s Trey found; Magdalena (Joanna Kulig), Tereza’s mom, Trey’s partner, and an illegal immigrant, wants to protect her daughter; and Katrina (Marisa Tomei), who Steven meets and has a sexual encounter with on his walk, wants Steven to leave his wife so that they can be together forever.
If that seems like a lot, that’s because it is! The generous reading of the film, and the one that I subscribe to, is that it’s big-hearted. It has a lot on its mind, and it wants all of its various plot lines to coalesce into a beautiful statement on the mawkishness of life. So even though there are some, again, generously, odd sections of the film, it’s still so hopelessly romantic in its belief in true love, happiness, and finding your purpose.
On the other hand, the cynical reading would be that the film has some wildly misguided ways of going about its noble endeavor, and that results in a movie with a runtime of just 102 minutes trying to balance way too much. It lacks a central storyline, and even sidelines the top billed stars Dinklage, Hathaway, and Tomei for 10 or more minutes at a time.
There are merits to both of these readings, but the earnestness and commitment with which each actor buys in causes me to come down on the positive side. Dinklage is great, and here he gets to play just a regular guy, and not one who’s being called an angry elf, or who drinks and knows things. Hathaway has easily the most outlandish part, but she’s a seasoned actress that she really makes it work. And Marisa Tomei is not only an Oscar winner, but an excellent comedic performer — she gets so many chances for hilarious reaction shots, and she nails them all.
Writer/director Rebecca Miller manages to keep a handle on this movie that could’ve easily spiraled out of control. There are even aspect ratio changes throughout, which emphasize ideas of true love, happiness, and meaning. It’s pretty clear that Miller has pure intentions behind some of her more questionable choices. So even though She Came to Me is very weird, just don’t think about the weirdness too much. I can almost guarantee you that the movie doesn’t.
Rating: Liked It
She Came to Me is currently playing in theaters
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