Movie Review by Dennis D. McDonald
This is a real hoot of a movie! The impression I got was that the director decided to “swing for the fence” and the superb cast, headed by Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, were totally on board, no matter how weird, grotesque, or just plain strange the director’s request was.
I have categorized this film as quirky. If you look at the other listed films you’ll see there are probably several sub-categories:
High production values.
Imaginative.
A veneer of class.
No commercial pretensions.
The image I have of Maggie Gyllenhaal during writing and production of this movie is that she had a little devil on one shoulder and a little angel on the other. They both whispered suggestions from the above list throughout the course of production.
Fortunately, the devil’s suggestion usually won out, the most lively example being the fancy-dress dance sequence, which — thankfully — goes on much too long but seems to have been a lot of fun to rehearse and perform. (I hope to see more of this in an extended edition.)
But what of the nuance and creative significance of the film? Aren’t the themes of “female empowerment” and “sisterhood” a bit overdone?
Absolutely; that’s part of this film’s charm. The director is making no excuses where her sympathies lie. She is still able to build in humor and satire, which is quite refreshing in these dark days!
Review copyright © 2026 by Dennis D. McDonald
