Queen of Earth (2015)

Very Cool!!!

Simply A Masterpiece

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

"Queen of Earth" is a great film. Based off the other reviews here, I think this film is under appreciated.This film takes a hard look at the complexities and imbalances that occur in long term friendships. As two people get to know each other for longer and longer, facades of politeness and patience slide away as character flaws are exposed. The two women in this story - Catherine and Virginia - have developed a deep understanding of how the other thinks, feels and fears and, for better or for worse, use this to their further their own emotional agendas.Set entirely in a vacation house in the woods, Catherine has come to Virginia for support after her father died and her boyfriend broke up with her - leaving her emotionally shipwrecked and her life in shambles. Virginia is stuck between caring for her overbearing friend and addressing the ways Catherine mistreated and took advantage of her in the past.The two women hurl mean thoughts to each other in the form of hard truths - or at least things that they believe to be true. At first glance, it is surprising to see how such a volatile relationship can be sustained as a friendship. However, as the film progresses, we see the need for each character to have someone in their life that may not care for them but, at the very least, understand and be present for them.The depth of the emotional drama is complemented by the creative camera-work and the beautiful, foreboding soundtrack which elevates this story to something of an emotional thriller. In more ways than one, the building of psychological tension between the women is as exciting as a suspenseful, murder film.I don't want to give anything away, but there are instances in the film where the story disappears into Catherine's delusions and hallucinations that I personally found over the top and not necessary. I think the film was stronger without it. Additionally, this film does not provide any sort of resolution but I feel in that sense this story mirrors life. Very rarely do we have the privilege of closure in complicated relationships but, by consuming art that addresses the subject, we can better understand them.If you are inspired and intrigued by films such as Ingmar Bergman's "Persona", Woody Allen's "Hannah and her Sisters" and the midcentury plays of Tennessee Williams and Eugene O'Neil - all stories about characters who simultaneously love and hate each other, than this film is definitely for you.

Imagine that you were instructed to make a film featuring two just modestly attractive women that are (and fortunately for them can financially afford to be) wholly self-possessed, narcissistic, mean-spirited and just plain vile. Worse, the two supporting actors are written as pretty much one-dimensional foils, bereft of any back-story or pretty much any focus. Surprise, this Alan Ross Perry guy comes up with an gripping -almost suspenseful- psychodrama that'll have you cringing and slack-jaw with no more than dialog. Elisabeth Moss is just sensational as is Katherine Waterston. At the end of the film you're not really rooting for, expecting or supporting any character or climax. Rather, you're simply stunned. I like being stunned.

Enjoyable performance by Elisabeth Moss that mesmerizes viewer keeping the suspense high, but honestly it is misleading to call it a thriller... No thriller at all, if we omit the music that yes could be from a thriller. Congratulations to the director for making uninteresting events in one's life sound like lines from an ancient Greek tragedy. Honestly, it takes talent, as the film proves that HOW is more important than WHAT. To come again to Elisabeth Moss she is a high quality, A class actress that can play anything she likes. PS, the description "Two women who grew up together discover they have drifted apart when they retreat to a lake house together" should be revised.

=====THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS=====I went to watch this film with an open mind, knowing a relatively small amount about its storyline other than a brief synopsis. This is supposed to be a thriller. I cannot say I felt any tension, any fear, any anticipation. All I ended up doing was become increasingly annoyed at the 1st AC who kept missing his focus marks.The film is essentially Lynch's "Mulholland Drive" crossed with Wiseau's "The Room". Mulholland Drive made no sense and you were constantly introduced to new ideas which led nowhere - this film is the same. Like The Room, it features a dull and clichéed screenplay (though at least in The Room it was delivered in such an entertaining way that one could still watch it with enjoyment) which doesn't hold any sort of story together. You spend most of the film expecting it to lead somewhere, and it never does. Perhaps the director wanted to give a nod to The Room when he introduced the completely pointless character sleeping outside.Cinematically, the film's editor uses tacky fonts to establish settings and continuously cuts to shots of rippling water for no apparent reason. As each day progresses in the story, the same thing just happens over and over again. Sometimes there will be some horrific colour temperature changes from one cut to the next that instantly jump out. Other times you're left watching a generally out-of-focus Katherine Waterston running for a good 20 seconds for no apparent reason.One long scene in the middle of the film could have been left out and would have made no difference. The performance is only impressive if it adds to the story, and with such a linear and mundane storyline, it is lost on the audience, particularly on the strange ECUs which linger far too long and go in and out of focus too many times to keep count.Most unforgivable is the easily avoidable breaking of the fourth wall during a scene where Katherine Waterston is wearing sunglasses and we are treated to a very clear reflection of the boom operator THREE TIMES! I am amazed nobody noticed during filming.Elsewhere on the sound front, there are several scenes which feature horrible audio bytes of character interaction with loud objects, which should be avoided where possible as it's just difficult to concentrate with rustling packets taking prominence over a character's dialogue.Unfortunately, I think any quality in acting which exists in the film is let down by the cinematography and the screenplay. And most other things. And if the director wanted to make it a cult classic like The Room, I'm afraid he hasn't made it.