by Samuel Nichols, Contributing Writer
We all have secrets. Things we don’t tell anyone that we would never tell a soul. Why? Maybe because we are embarrassed. Maybe because it’s a crime. Maybe because we don’t know what we are doing. Maybe because it would hurt those closest to use. Maybe we think it matters more than it actually does. Whatever way the ball rolls, we all have secrets. All of us except Eileen. She has none.
Eileen Dunlop (Thomasin MacKenzie) is a 24-year-old administrative assistant at a juvenile detention facility. Her father (Shea Whigham) is an ex-cop who lives in his recliner with a 40 oz. next to him at all times. Life is mundane for Eileen. She works, hates her job, fantasizes about a man (any man for that matter), comes homes to her father, goes to sleep, and does it all over again. But when Dr. Rebecca (the delightful Anne Hathaway) is hired at the juvie, some life is injected into Eileen. She makes friends with the doctor, talks with her about life and their work, and goes out with her for drinks after work. But the doctor knows too much about one of the young inmates, and what she knows leads both of them into a dark place.
What a pair of performances from our two leads! MacKenzie has always had talent, but to go beat for beat with established talent like Hathaway is remarkable. She is all at once like a young deer in headlights in awe of her co-Star and steely-eyed with resolve. While this movie isn’t going to break any box office records, when you combine her efforts here with her recent showings in Last Night in Soho, Leave No Trace, and Jojo Rabbit, MacKenzie keeps showing she has talent to go around.
Hathaway has a much different role than we are used to seeing her in. This is Princess Mia, a ray of absolute sunshine. But when the camera is on her in Eileen, Hathaway is like a sinful magnet you can’t look away from. You know this person is she’s playing is dark and twisted in some way, but she has the charm turned on to 11, and it feels so effortless for her.
The doe and the devil is one way to look at the dynamic between these two. But as we get pulled further into the story, it’s clear perhaps we don’t fully understand either of them. Maybe they are pining for something or just wanting to do the right thing even if that appears wrong on the surface. Neither of these books can be judged by their covers.
A few other praises to give: The score and cinematography are very reminiscent of a 1950s film. The cold feeling of Christmastime fills the air and makes me enjoy the setting of this flick even more. There’s happiness around town which juxtaposes well against the darkness of our story.
Honestly, I feel like I’m writing in circles here, and I would have to spoil how this movie ends to really talk about it in depth. Because I was not really sure what all this was about or what the theme was until the very end. Literally the last shot. Then it all clicked for me and my rating of this movie went up immensely. So go watch this.
Rating: Loved It
Eileen is currently playing in theaters
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