Sun 25 Apr 2021 03.00 EDT
The indie US film-maker Lawrence Michael Levine deploys Aubrey Plaza as both muse and mouthpiece in this tense dramedy about the ethics of the artistic process. If that sounds tedious, itâs not: Levineâs playful deconstruction of tortured genius is a witty and provocative send-up of tyrannical directors, diva-ish actors and over-invested voyeurs alike.
The film is organised in two acts. The first is a play-like three-hander in which minxy actor turned writer-director Allison (Plaza) embarks on a kind of writerâs retreat in upstate New York. She rents a room in a lakeside cabin owned by Gabe and Blair (Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon), a pair of unhappy âcreativesâ whose relationship she mines for material. The second act takes place on the disastrous last day of a film shoot, repurposing the lakeside location but rejigging everyoneâs roles. This time, Gabe is the writer-director, Allison his unhappy wife and the filmâs lead, while Blair is her co-star and real-life rival.