Movie Breakdown: Eileen

Pre-Screening Stance:

This particular “pre-screening stance” is a little weird for me. I managed to catch Eileen back in September at Fantastic Fest, and I went in only knowing that it starred Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie. Now having seen a trailer for it, I think it gives away too much, but it does nicely showcase the psychological thriller.

Post-Screening Ramble:

Eileen is a great time and it will certainly make my year-end film list – it’s suspenseful, it’s charming, it’s seductive, and it definitely doesn’t go where you think it will. The story is centered around … Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie), a young lady who spends her days working at a prison and her evenings taking care of her father, Jim (Shea Whigham). As you can see, her life isn’t exactly thrilling or fulfilling, so when a pretty and daring psychiatrist, Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), gets hired on at the ole penal institution, she immediately becomes enamored with her. This is also helped along by the fact that Rebecca quickly takes an interest in Eileen, and then the two become intertwined in something that isn’t exactly what the other (or you, for that matter) thinks that is.

At just a hair over an hour and a half long, Eileen is a lean film and director William Oldroyd makes the most of it. You want something good for Eileen the moment you’re introduced to her, and then right along comes Rebecca and it’s all so buzzy and exciting. Then before you know it the third act crashes in, things suddenly go wildly sideways, and you’ll wonder if somehow you’re now watching a different film. By the way, the quick pace here doesn’t mean there’s not plenty of details and little asides to be had, there certainly are, especially when it comes to the performances from Hathaway and McKenzie. They both have these very layered characters, and I thought they not only delivered some exception work, but also that they complimented each other well.

I haven’t read Eileen, so I can’t say how the adaptation compares to the book, but I can tell you that the film itself is more than worth your time. It’s playing in select theaters tomorrow, December 1, and then will open wide on December 8.

One Last Thought:

Given the frequency in which I see comments that say Shea Whigham is underrated, he may not actually be – still though, his scrunchy face should be more celebrated. On another note, I should figure out his top five roles. IMDB lists him as currently having 99 credits, so it’ll only take a second!