Black Bear review

BLACK BEAR (2020)

Director: Lawrence Michael Levine

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Sarah Gadon, Christopher Abbot

Runtime: 104min

 

 

Black Bear is a tricksy little film, a darling of Sundance that delivers several surprises and serves up a tantalising dose of ambiguity. It runs on a career best performance from Aubrey Plaza, whose own trademark ambiguity is both referenced and used to great effect.

It's hard to know what exactly to reveal about the plot, as there is a reversal about half an hour in which requires rethinking everything that has happened up until then. But basically, Plaza is an actor/director come to stay with Gadon and Abbot's husband and wife at their rural retreat in order to get some writing done. They are a waspish passive aggressive couple, expecting a child, who bitch at each other constantly. Things slowly descend into arguments and recrimination as the first evening progresses.

Or do they? There is something a little off about the chronology and indeed everything changes, revealing a film about making a film, that explores artistic creation and the emotional and physical stimuluses required to achieve a performance. Or perhaps not required. When does emotional manipulation of an actor cross the line into abuse?

It's impressive, involving stuff, Plaza letting it all hang out and getting great support from Gadon and Abbot (he had the lead in the recent TV adaptation of Catch 22) as well as quite a large cast playing various film crew members, with a little running comedy amongst the ensemble to balance the hardcore emotional excavation. Director Levine also wrote the film and has a great eye for small details; it is a pleasure to see so many well-developed three-dimensional characters.

And the fine line that the film walks works. The journey is captivating, with much to ponder along the way. Ambiguity can sometimes do little more than frustrate but here it allows for a very satisfying experience. Oh, and yes, there really is a bear.