by Josh Sewell
Miranda July, a performance artist and filmmaker known for her quirky characters and
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| Courtesy of Focus |
eccentric directing style, has been a critical darling since her feature-length debut, 2005’s Me and You and Everyone We Know. Since then, she’s made several shorts, but only two other features: 2011’s The Future and Kajillionaire, which opens in limited release this weekend.
Thanks to its recognizable cast and intriguing premise, July’s latest might just have a shot at mainstream success if it generates enough word-of-mouth. That’s especially true considering its relatively brief running time means it tells a powerful story, full of strong performances and terrific production design, without overstaying its welcome.
Kajillionaire focuses on a family of oddball con artists who are constantly looking for any opportunity to steal or scam, while also evading their landlord and traditional responsibility. Theresa (Debra Winger) and Robert (Richard Jenkins) are so invested in their way of life that they’ve spent 26 years training their only daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), to be an equal partner rather than be her parents.
When they discover they only have two weeks to come up with $1,500 or face eviction, Old Dolio comes up with a scheme involving lost luggage and insurance fraud. While executing the plan, they have a chance encounter with Melanie (Gina Rodriguez), a charming stranger who forms an instant bond with the family.
Entertained by their weirdness for a while, Melanie eventually realizes the toll this life has taken on the sheltered, socially awkward Old Dolio. What happens afterward will change how all of them make their way through life.
Kajillionaire is an acquired taste that’s the definition of “not for everyone.” Some viewers will undoubtedly consider July’s style to be excessively twee or pretentious. Others will be drawn into a world that’s slightly off, where characters behave in ways that aren’t realistic but still make sense in a dream logic kind of way. Still, those on the same creative wavelength – or those with the patience to stick it out until the powerful conclusion – will discover an affecting story that stays with them long after the credits have rolled.
Initially, the film was jarring to me. The characters are off-putting and frequently unlikable, while the world they live in reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite – seemingly modern, but retro at the same time. However, after a bit of character development and giving myself some time to get used to the stylistic choices, I found myself getting drawn into the lives of these weird people.
Watching Kajillionaire was a little like jumping into a cold swimming pool. My first reaction was shock and discomfort, but after a while it felt nice and I realized I was having a good time. That’s primarily because of the incredible actors at the narrative’s center.
Jenkins and Winger are terrific (no surprise there, naturally), instilling enough humanity into unpleasant characters that viewers come to accept them on their own weird terms. However, what makes the film special is the dynamic between Wood and Rodriguez. Their characters couldn’t be more different, but their personality traits are so contradictory they can’t help but be fascinated by one another.
Wood takes some real chances in the way she plays Old Dolio; not all of them work (her voice takes a while to get used to), but they make her endearing nonetheless. Rodriguez might be the film’s MVP, simply because she’s the audience surrogate – a relatively normal person (well, “movie star normal” anyway) that holds our hand and keeps us grounded in this ridiculous, sometimes scary world.
While Kajillionaire isn’t for everyone, I’m glad I got the chance to spend time hanging out with July’s characters. They’re not always easy to be around, but they’re never boring.
Kajillionaire is rated R for some sexual references/language.
Grade: B
New on Blu-ray: Focus Features 10-Movie Spotlight Collection
Hitting stores on Sept. 29, this impressive Blu-ray collection boasts some of the most acclaimed films released by Focus Features since its founding in 2002. The set includes Lost in Translation; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Pride & Prejudice; Brokeback Mountain; Atonement; Burn After Reading; Moonrise Kingdom; The Theory of Everything; On the Basis of Sex; and Harriet.
With the holiday season just around the corner, this is a perfect gift for the movie fan in your life. Almost all of the films are winners. Two of them – Eternal Sunshine and Brokeback Mountain – are all-time greats. Also, On the Basis of Sex is timelier than ever following the recent loss of modern hero Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (I also maintain that Burn After Reading is the key to unlocking our current political moment.)
Thanks to its recognizable cast and intriguing premise, July’s latest might just have a shot at mainstream success if it generates enough word-of-mouth. That’s especially true considering its relatively brief running time means it tells a powerful story, full of strong performances and terrific production design, without overstaying its welcome.
Kajillionaire focuses on a family of oddball con artists who are constantly looking for any opportunity to steal or scam, while also evading their landlord and traditional responsibility. Theresa (Debra Winger) and Robert (Richard Jenkins) are so invested in their way of life that they’ve spent 26 years training their only daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), to be an equal partner rather than be her parents.
When they discover they only have two weeks to come up with $1,500 or face eviction, Old Dolio comes up with a scheme involving lost luggage and insurance fraud. While executing the plan, they have a chance encounter with Melanie (Gina Rodriguez), a charming stranger who forms an instant bond with the family.
Entertained by their weirdness for a while, Melanie eventually realizes the toll this life has taken on the sheltered, socially awkward Old Dolio. What happens afterward will change how all of them make their way through life.
Kajillionaire is an acquired taste that’s the definition of “not for everyone.” Some viewers will undoubtedly consider July’s style to be excessively twee or pretentious. Others will be drawn into a world that’s slightly off, where characters behave in ways that aren’t realistic but still make sense in a dream logic kind of way. Still, those on the same creative wavelength – or those with the patience to stick it out until the powerful conclusion – will discover an affecting story that stays with them long after the credits have rolled.
Initially, the film was jarring to me. The characters are off-putting and frequently unlikable, while the world they live in reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite – seemingly modern, but retro at the same time. However, after a bit of character development and giving myself some time to get used to the stylistic choices, I found myself getting drawn into the lives of these weird people.
Watching Kajillionaire was a little like jumping into a cold swimming pool. My first reaction was shock and discomfort, but after a while it felt nice and I realized I was having a good time. That’s primarily because of the incredible actors at the narrative’s center.
Jenkins and Winger are terrific (no surprise there, naturally), instilling enough humanity into unpleasant characters that viewers come to accept them on their own weird terms. However, what makes the film special is the dynamic between Wood and Rodriguez. Their characters couldn’t be more different, but their personality traits are so contradictory they can’t help but be fascinated by one another.
Wood takes some real chances in the way she plays Old Dolio; not all of them work (her voice takes a while to get used to), but they make her endearing nonetheless. Rodriguez might be the film’s MVP, simply because she’s the audience surrogate – a relatively normal person (well, “movie star normal” anyway) that holds our hand and keeps us grounded in this ridiculous, sometimes scary world.
While Kajillionaire isn’t for everyone, I’m glad I got the chance to spend time hanging out with July’s characters. They’re not always easy to be around, but they’re never boring.
Kajillionaire is rated R for some sexual references/language.
Grade: B
New on Blu-ray: Focus Features 10-Movie Spotlight Collection
 |
| Courtesy of Focus |
Hitting stores on Sept. 29, this impressive Blu-ray collection boasts some of the most acclaimed films released by Focus Features since its founding in 2002. The set includes Lost in Translation; Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Pride & Prejudice; Brokeback Mountain; Atonement; Burn After Reading; Moonrise Kingdom; The Theory of Everything; On the Basis of Sex; and Harriet.
With the holiday season just around the corner, this is a perfect gift for the movie fan in your life. Almost all of the films are winners. Two of them – Eternal Sunshine and Brokeback Mountain – are all-time greats. Also, On the Basis of Sex is timelier than ever following the recent loss of modern hero Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (I also maintain that Burn After Reading is the key to unlocking our current political moment.)
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