From the surreal creations of David Lynch to the disfigured terror of David Cronenberg, it's safe to say that I've seen plenty of weird movies in my lifetime. In fact, I've seen enough of them that when a truly weird and bizarre film pops up, it usually is hard for the film to effect me in the way it was designed to. Every now and then, however, a film will pop up that will truly have me saying, "well that was bizarre." Case in point, the film I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore. The film is directed and written by Macon Blair in his debut behind the camera after spending years in front of it. Starring Melanie Lynskey, the film is about a woman who, after having her home burglarized, has had enough with society. She intends to fight back with the help of her odd neighbor played by Elijah Wood of Lord of the Rings fame. However, her acts of vigilantism get her into some hot water that she may never be able to escape.
I think the most important thing to discuss about this odd film is its tone. To me, it's pretty clear that the film is heavily inspired both in story and in tone by two films: Joel Schumacher's Falling Down and Mike Judge's Office Space. Like the two films, I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore deals with the main character rebelling against a flawed society, sometimes done with satirical comedy (Office Space) and sometimes done with dark humor that has some sinister tricks up its sleeve (Falling Down). By mixing two completely different types of humor, the film is at times dis-jolting, which I believe is what Blair was going for. This jolt in tone is in part what makes the film so odd. Also, the story itself takes twists and turns to help settle the tone and in turn keep the film always feeling outputting and different.
Even though the film is so odd, that is not a bad thing in this case. By using the tone that they did in combination with the indie film budget as well as the oddness present, the film becomes unique, original, and, most importantly, original.
A lot of this is due to the acting of Lynskey and especially Wood. Both were so good at always seeming so odd and awkward that it actually worked for me in making the film seem even stranger. However, I think one of the oddest things in the film was Wood's performance as the neighbor. Wood had become typecast in Hollywood, so to see him in an indie film with a role like this amped the crazy levels to eleven.
Also, Blair utilizes different camerawork throughout the film to also add to the oddness. For example, Many scenes of Lynskey use high angles to show how small she is. However, as the film continues and she continues on the crusade for "justice," the angles start to become lower, making her seem bigger and more threatening. This is done throughout the film for almost every character on screen, which I think is really interesting.
With all of that said, oddness cannot make a movie good on its own. Just look at "Wild at Heart" for proof on that one. That said, the film is also incredibly well written throughout with strong performances all around. For a comedy, the film's script is easily one of the best, most unique written in years. The dialogue is snappy, the plot never feels forced, and, arguably most importantly, the film is funny. The screenplay also makes the film's characters likeable, which in a story such as this is incredibly important. Of course credit does have to go to the actors, but much of what makes these characters so likeable is their dialogue.
The only problem I have with the film is that sometimes the pacing was off. Several times I caught myself checking my phone to see what time it was. This is one of the ultimate sins a film can commit, a sin this film did at times commit. That said, this really is the only flaw in the film. For what the film is attempting to accomplish, the film is pretty efficient.
I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore is definitely not for everyone. At times the pacing is slow and the whole oddness of the film may not appeal to anyone. That said, if you are in for a black satirical comedy that is one of the more unique and well made comedies of the decade, then I definitely recommend checking it out.
I think your comments on camera angle and how it was used to show the progression of Lynskey's character is a really interesting point. I noticed that you kept saying how odd the movie was. I have two things to say about this: first, you might want to try synonyms like strange, eccentric, weird, peculiar, etc. Second, in what ways was it odd? A few examples would really help strengthen your point. I liked the fact that you compared this movie to some more well known movies. That will definitely allow your audience to have a deeper understanding of your observations, even if they haven’t seen this particular movie! Keep up the good work!
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