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So I had wanted to see this movie since it debuted back at Sundance earlier this year and finally got the chance thanks to a very limited release, with only ten theaters participating. I’m biased as a Kristen Stewart fan which was the driving factor behind seeing this film but it looked to be one of her toughest roles to date, possibly second only to playing Joan Jett, as she was playing a 15 year old runaway stripper/prostitute in good ole’ New Orleans. The movie is an independent character study, which is always appealing to me and the movie actually debuted at Sundance along with Stewart’s portrayal of Jett in The Runaways. The movie has grossed over $115,000.00 domestically, which is not horrible considering it’s only been showing in ten theaters for about 4 weeks. It’s grossed over $240,000.00 worldwide, so it’s interesting to note it’s brining in more revenue overseas.

The movie follows three characters, played by James Gandolfini, Melissa Leo, and Kristen Stewart. Gandolfini and Leo are a married couple, Doug and Lois, dealing with the tragic death of their only daughter in a car accident ten years ago and dealing with a disintegrating marriage. Doug owns a plumbing company and takes the chance to go to a convention in New Orleans where he meets Kristen Stewart’s character, Mallory, at a run down strip club where she offers him a lap dance. Doug and Mallory soon embark on an unusual relationship where they try and mend each other’s wounds, or what they perceive those to be.

The characters in this movie are written very well in my opinion. They are real, unique, and open. Doug and Lois are what seem to be a normal married couple which is sharply contrasted by Mallory, a teenage runaway working at a stripclub and turning tricks to make ends meet. I think it’s difficult to write such a tragic character and still keep a resonance of truth inside that character without coming out with clichéd stereotypes. Mallory somehow comes off as someone much more experienced in the ways of the world than most of us ever will be, but at the same time she is still a child who had no one to teach her the simplicities of life. Doug and Lois, on the other hand, appear to be a happy couple coping with the death of their only child – from the outside. When we are let into their lives, we see it’s only a shell of a marriage left hanging on by a string. Now the plot is believable however implausible at the same time. While in New Orleans , Doug decides to stay for awhile and pays Mallory to stay at her place. I wouldn’t recommend anyone jumping out there to go live with a teenage stripper to find healing. And so obviously some elements of the plot are what I would call implausible, but not necessarily unbelievable. There wouldn’t have been a story without these plot points. I also felt that Lois’ leaving was too rushed and not enough time was spent with all three of these characters together when they were in New Orleans . I believe this is due to the runtime of 110 minutes, and not a fault of the plot. Although it’s hard to tell if it was cut down for time or not.

This movie got right out there and filmed the characters on the streets of New Orleans . It’s not a set built to resemble the city, or even another city with an area that can look similar from certain angles. When Doug arrives, the camera pans out to reveal the entire skyline of modern New Orleans – beautiful. The cinematography in this movie was just that, beautiful. They filmed out there in the rundown ghettos where the movie is set. I think it’s awesome to show that a beautiful story can be set in an environment most of us would look down on. Beauty can be found anywhere, and that’s exactly what the theme of the cinematography shows us in the angles and shots used in this movie. This was a raw movie and the camerawork and score mimicked that tone. We are often left with natural sounds and dialogue instead of an ominous score. The score is subtle and used when necessary to glue the different scenes together. There was a particular scene where Lois was walking out into a field and being outside for the first time in years and the piano keystrokes matched the rhythm of her footsteps. It was a subtle touch, but made this particular sequence very beautiful in my opinion. The actors also look their parts, and I’m mostly talking about Stewart. There weren’t any gobs of makeup or perfect hair making her line of work look glamorous (think Pretty Woman). She looked like she belonged there – bruises and dirty hair included. I’m actually going to attribute this to her performance instead of wardrobe/makeup, but it was great to let these actors be seen in the raw, as it is in real life.

The performances were what drove this movie. Lower caliber actors most definitely could not have pulled this off. It seems most critics out there are in agreement with Leo’s and Gandolfini’s superb performances and then its about split on Stewart’s performance. I’d actually venture to say that Leo and Stewart were at the front and Gandolfini a strong second. Leo becomes this character and we can see her emotions and how she uses her composure to hide them. Her character also deals with an extreme phobia of leaving her house, which she hasn’t done in years. I didn’t feel as thought I was watching Melissa Leo anymore, however that this is truly how she was. Even her posture when she was sitting mimicked her character’s persona. She’s an Oscar nominee for a reason and she proves it here. Gandolfini definitely has the potential to become typecast and that was working against him here. He was able to pull off confidence with his character from the outside, however also a believable vulnerability when he was alone and through his interactions with Mallory. Almost instantly, his locked up fatherly instincts overtake his confident façade and drive his actions with Mallory. The chemistry between Gandolfini and Stewart was believable and could see these two characters leaning on each other. I felt that Lois’ character was thrown in there too soon, but the dynamic becomes palpable between the three and you can almost feel the underlying tension. I wish more time would have been dedicated to showing the three of them together.  So on to Stewart's performance. I'm very aware there are people out there who don't agree with my preferential bias of her as an actor, but I think some props should be given for taking on such a hard role. She had to completely submerse herself in this role. She went with director Jake Scott to an actual strip club to research the atmosphere, which was the right thing to do. Funny, she recalls in an interview that in preparation for the role, she hadn't washed her hair for several weeks and was looking as grungy as ever and they actually offered her a job when they walked in. I think without this 'research' the sincerity of the character wouldn't have been there. She became this person and had everything out there on display, figuratively and literally. She physically submitted herself to this role as well. Not many top paid female actors out there would let themselves be filmed close up in the raw with unwashed hair, bruises, and blemishes galore. The character was raw and gritty, but her performance brought out the subtle beauty within her character's eroded shell. It wasn't just Kristen Stewart spewing fbomb after fbomb and parading around in fishnets, she brought out the emotional side of her character and chemistry with Doug's character, and it felt like there was a genuine bond. I have yet to write something negative about her performances and I really think this role may convince some out there who hold a different opinion than mine on her acting. I still think you can't deny the effort she put into this role and it automatically earns my respect. Well in any event, I'll put this performance right up there with The Runaways. 

So yes obviously I enjoyed this film. I knew I would and I wasn't disappointed in the least. I got everything I want in an indie drama - beautiful simple cinematography and passionate actors. The passion put forth by all those involved in this film, is very evident in the outcome. Obviously, the audience is going to be narrow based on the subject matter. There is a heavy amount of profanity and sexual material, however its not a glamorous look at a stripper's life nor is it one of those stories where she realizes at the end that she wants a different life and enrolls in medical school. It's a real raw look into these characters and how, if only for a short period of time, they are able to help each other emotionally. Who would I recommend this movie to? If you enjoyed The Runaways, this is right up there, however a lot more subtle. Anyone who enjoys a good raw emotional drama set right in the heart of real-life. "Will you please just listen to my proposition? Yes, but the answer is no" -- Welcome to the Rileys.