Ryan McNeil
Coming into TIFF 2011, I don’t think any film had more question marks hanging over it than Julia Leigh’s SLEEPING BEAUTY. Specifically, I’d been warned off from it – told that many who’d seen it at the film festivals it has already played didn’t much care for it, and that there had even been walk-outs. There were a few dissenting opinions, saying that it really “wasn’t that bad”…but by and large the cautionary tales were reaching a dull roar.
That might have gone a long way in tempering my expectations.
While I don’t think it’s nearly as good, I’d lump SLEEPING BEAUTY into a category with SHAME as a film one “experiences”, they don’t necessarily “enjoy”. In this case, the story seems equally uncomfortable, but at least the main character feels more sympathetic. For those who don’t know, SLEEPING BEAUTY is about Lucy (Emily Browning) – a college student so hard up for cash that she juggles several odd sources of income at once. She waitresses at a crummy diner, she signs up to be an experiment test subject, and she’s even known to turn the occasional trick. These still don’t add up to a liveable income, so she answers an add which is looking for pretty girls to do…something.
Like SHAME, SLEEPING BEAUTY is not meant to titilate. All of the sexual acts involved leave the audience feeling uncomfortable, since most of them involve things happening while Lucy (or “Sara” as her brothel calls her) is asleep. I liked this film to an extent. The story is straight forward, so it wasn’t the narrative that was pulling me in. In its stead, I think it was the direction that had me so engaged. Everything is observed from a distance: There are very few close-ups, so we always seem to be able to see the entire room and get the uncomfortable feeling like we’re sitting in a chair in the corner watching these interactions. It’s an interesting choice, and an unsettling one at that.
I also really liked Emily Browning in this film. Having watched this, I am know fully convinced that Zack Snyder wasted her in SUCKER PUNCH since she showed more emotion in the first ten minutes of this film than she did in that entire movie. She plays this part with a weary sadness, something she puts away when she’s turning these odd high-class tricks, but something that becomes wildly obvious when she’s on her own. When she finally unleashes it all, she does so in a manner that rips right through you.
So perhaps because I was warned off it…perhaps because I’ve seen worse…or perhaps because I actually was fascinated with what I saw, SLEEPING BEAUTY gets a nod from me. Not an emphatic “Yes, dear reader – put this on your to-see list” declaration, but at the very least a note of time well spent.
“Having watched this, I am know fully convinced that Zack Snyder wasted her in SUCKER PUNCH since she showed more emotion in the first ten minutes of this film than she did in that entire movie.”
Amen to that. Browning is a very talented actress, but Sucker Punch truly made a mess out of her.
I kinda wanna see this one, as it looks intriguing enough. But yeah, I’ve heard some bad stuff about it (really bad stuff). Glad you liked it though – I’ll be checking it out as soon as is physically possible!
It’s not nearly as bad as haters would have you believe (precious little is). Do check it out when you have a chance.
The set-up alone sounds interesting. So, she is sleeping in a room and weird shit happens to her. Thats fascinating … an allegory for people who walk through life half-asleep, unaware of what is happening around them? We’ll see how other critics take the film …
I’ll email you more details, it’s not as allegorical as you think.
Just watched this film; a chilling portrayal of the objectification of women. Femininity is expressed as a mere aesthetic presence. “Sara” is oftentimes a mere adornment to the room or a toy to be played with. Her consciousness is something to be feared. The emotional rape is highlighted with the “no penetration” rule. The uncomfortable apathy felt throught the film I believe to be intentional and expertly crafted by the filmmakers. I do understand how it could be mistaken for pretentiousness however this film is a great social critique if one only looks closely. An amazing statement to start a conversation on feminism; either as an intentional failure or profound success.
Hey Fraley – Welcome to The Matinee!
It’s interesting that you’ve found a reaction from a previous year’s film festival just as I’m gearing up for this year’s film festival. The reason why it interests me is that when one see’s a glut of films in a short window of time (as always happens at TIFF), the movies tend to blur together. However, three years later, this film still sticks in my brain.
One thing I’ve always come back to is that for the amount of sex in the air – and likewise the amount of on-screen nudity – it’s probably one of the least “sexy” movies I’ve ever seen. So often one is a bi product of the other, so to see such a result is a sign of a truly deft hand.
I’ve actually never seen any other films by the director of this movie, but now that you remind me I think it’s time I look up more of her work.
Thanks for dropping by!