(spoiler free)
It’s not often that we bear witness to a movie that exudes and presents a story so meta and contextual that we continue thinking about it long after it’s over. From the creative mind of director Lawrence Michael Levine (Wild Canaries) comes Black Bear, an intoxicating story about one filmmaker’s vision and the eventual blurring of lines between fact and fiction.
The movie stars (and is also produced by) Aubrey Plaza (Parks & Recreation), who gives the best performance of her career in this conceptual drama. For someone known more for her comedy, seeing her take on a darker and more dramatic role was something I never knew I wanted. Plaza shines so bright in this film and carries it through to its riveting end.
At the start of the film, we essentially see a side of Plaza that she often portrays in many of her roles–sarcastic, witty, passive-aggressive. But as you reach the midpoint of the film, things are turned on their head in a way you certainly don’t see coming, or quite understand. All I can tell you is that it requires you to change your perspective on everything you thought you knew.
Black Bear has a multitude of layers, each of which has this peculiar dreamy logic to it, and it’s exactly the type of movie you anticipate will come out of a film festival like Sundance. The story is further elevated by the performances of Christopher Abbott (James White) and Sarah Gadon (Alias Grace), who add to the allure and drama that Plaza effortlessly brings to the overall movie.
The dynamic between Plaza, Gadon and Abbott’s characters is the heart of the movie and fulfills Levine’s vision of bringing us a narrative that somehow progresses from a story about a seemingly dysfunctional couple to something entirely different. The writing of the story reels you right in as moments of silence, anger, fear, and confusion take over certain scenes, really setting the tone for what’s going on and adding an incredibly addictive quality to the proceedings.
Black Bear pushes us to ask questions about those closest to us who somehow feel more distant than strangers we’ve just meet but have felt like we’ve known them for a long time. This trippy story is filled with twists and turns and explores an artistic approach to love and relationships in a confusing yet satisfying manner.
With Plaza at the helm of the story guiding us through we feel all the pain and hurt of the characters, and all the drastic shifts it takes between multiple genres. You may find yourself scratching your head at times, as the film gives us all something to think and ponder about, but rest assured, you will love how Levine’s masterpiece comes together.
Written by Ariba Bhuvad
★★★★
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Black Bear is released on digital 23rd April
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