La mujer americana

"American Woman" is one of those movies that seems obsessed with making middle America look like the most depressing place on the planet. The filmmakers must have been in a bad mood and looking to take it out on somebody, so they chose to do so by heaping crisis after crisis on top of their heroine, a troubled wild child of a woman played by Sienna Miller. The film follows her trajectory from single mom of a teenage girl in the 1980s, to 40-ish single woman raising her teenage grandson. In between, she suffers the disappearance of her daughter, a couple of lousy men, and a contentious relationship with her mom (Amy Madigan) and sister (Christina Hendricks). She's a total pain in the butt and annoying as hell at times. Some of the things that happen to her are out of her control, but much of what happens to her is the result of her own terrible decisions. So why should we care?

Because she's played by Sienna Miller, giving one of the most underrated performances of the year. I always find myself saying that I don't have to like characters in a movie or book in order to enjoy it, but I do have to find them compelling enough to spend time with, and this movie is a good example of that. I don't know that I ever liked Miller's character exactly (I certainly wouldn't want to spend much time with her), but I did warm to her tremendously and found myself feeling compassionately toward her, and that's entirely due to Miller's fierce performance. There are a couple of gems to be found in the supporting performances as well, notably those of Hendricks and Madigan. Aaron Paul pops up half way through the film as one of Miller's guys, and he's decent, but why he decides to talk like Christian Bale in "Batman" I couldn't ever quite figure out.

Grade: A

Gripping performance by Sienna Miller as a smalltown young mother / grandmother, coping with the mysterious disappearance of her teenage daughter and left to raise her grandson on her own. The film spans over many years and exhibits interesting character growth as life goes on. Christina Hendricks also delivers an excellent performance as her next-door sister, as well as the rest of the family. It's been awhile since I've seen a good drama and American Woman has delivered the goods. Best film I've seen in the Toronto Film Festival so far.

So if you like fast paced action, don't bother. If you like sublimely acted, well paced, brilliant character development, please give this a watch. This isn't a film about a mother trying to find her daughter, this is about an incredible journey of one woman and watching Sienna Miller's character develop over the course of this film is breathtaking. I cried. A lot. And I rarely, rarely cry watching films. There is something incredibly authentic about this film that draws you in and leaves you feeling as if you were some way involved in the lives of these characters. Bravo

Coming fom the writer of Out Of The Furnace and the producers of Manchester By The Sea, this portrait of a blue-collar Pennsylvania woman wasn't going to be champagne and roses. While those films boasted well-rounded female characters, they played second fiddle. Here, Sienna Miller's Deb is the main attraction - in all her contradictory, pedestrian glory. Following Deb from 32 (a hot mess grandma) to 40 (taking control of her life), American Woman builds a rich picture of a flawed, recognisable female character. Deb dates unsuitable men while living with her teen-mum daughter, Bridget (Sky Ferreira), and baby grandson, Jesse. Her sister, Katherine (Christina Hendricks), helps when things go wrong - and they go horrifically wrong when Bridget disappears. But Bridget's absence is almost happenstance to Deb's tale of survival, as she weathers an abusive relationship to ensure Jesse has a home. It takes years for her to feel worthy of a decent partner. Maybe Aaron Paul's brickie is the one... You'll guess the outcomes, but what works is the slow-burn combo of convincing dialogue and Miller's unvarnished turn. She should be in the awards conversation - but the performances outstrip the film, so American Woman may not sufficiently linger in audiences' imaginations.

Great story, great cast, and the best film I have seen in 2019 and I watch a few hundred a year. It surprises me the overall low score, and don't get it why people scored it so low, sure no action, no superheroes or vampires that walk in sunlight, just a well written drama that hooked me from the minute it started, the last 20 minutes gave me shivers.

Superb film 10 out of 10 and shame on those that scored it so low, or is it just an indicator of what the public deems a great film these days?