Movie Review Becks

Becks (2018) 

Directed by Daniel Powell 

Written by Elizabeth Rohrbaugh 

Starring Lena Hall, Mena Suvari, Christine Lahti, Dan Fogler 

Release Date January 2018 

Becks is a wildly charming romantic drama about a woman who goes back to her hometown following a bad break up. Lena Hall stars in the film as Becks and while her story is familiar, her character is wholly original. Hall is funny, smart, sexy and original and if you can get around the familiarity of the storytelling tropes, you will really love this character and her journey.

When we meet Becks she is about to leave New York City for Los Angeles with her longtime girlfriend. The girlfriend has been invited to be part of a reality show for up-and-coming singers and is leaving for L.A early to set up their new home. However, when Becks finally arrives at her supposed new home, she finds her girlfriend has been cheating on her.

With no place to go and little money, Becks has no choice but to return to her hometown of St. Louis where her mother, Ann, played by Christine Lahti, is waiting to take her in. Ann, a former nun, has been trying to be open and accepting of her daughter’s lifestyle, but we can sense the tension between the two almost immediately. Thankfully, her old friend Dave (Dan Fogler) is there to be supportive and give her his bar to perform in.

It is while performing in Dave’s bar that Becks meets Elyse (Mena Suvari). Elyse happens to be the wife of her former High School bully, Mitch (Darren Richie), or Mitch the Bitch, as she used to call him. Mitch once attempted to out Becks at a High School dance, even before Becks herself knew she was gay. This slight has lingered for over a decade even as Mitch has now become a respected and friendly presence around town.

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Movie Review My First Mister

My First Mister (2001) 

Directed by Christine Lahti 

Written by Jill Franklyn 

Starring Albert Brooks, Leelee Sobieski, John Goodman, Carole Kane, Michael McKean 

Release Date October 12th, 2001 

Published June 3rd, 2002 

Albert Brooks has been around a long time but yet, he still seems to go unnoticed. The fact is though, Brooks is one of the great comic geniuses in the world. If you've seen his highly underappreciated gems Defending Your Life and The Muse as well as his brilliant guest voice work on the Simpsons, you know what I'm talking about. Brooks is a talented writer who is funny without having to obviously try to be funny. He just is. In My First Mister, Brooks' humor is on display as is his surprising knack for depth and poignancy.

My First Mister stars Leelee Sobieski as Jennifer, a suicidal Goth teen just out of high school and searching for a job. Jennifer's job hunt leads her to Randall (Brooks), the owner of a conservative men’s clothing store. For some strange reason, Jennifer and Randall click and Randall hires her to work in the stock room, and stay off the main floor because he fears her Goth clothes and multiple piercings may frighten his older upscale customers.

As unlikely as these two people are as friends, their connection is believable and the interaction between them is entertaining. They have few things in common, the biggest thing being they both don't have anyone else. Jennifer doesn't get along with her divorced parents (Carol Kane and John Goodman) and Randall has been divorced for 17 years. 

Kane is quite good as Jennifer's much-abused mother who, though she seems like an addled Donna Reed wannabe, is actually just a loving parent at a loss as to how to relate to her emotionally distant daughter. If Kane and the other supporting players (Goodman, Michael McKean and Mary Kay) seem like caricatures it's because we are seeing them through Jennifer’s warped perspective. As the film progresses and Jennifer begins to open up we begin to see these characters as they really are.

First time director Christine Lahti shows a skillful hand in directing two characters whose interactions could seem like a very creepy version of Lolita. Lahti makes sure we know the film isn't about sex or lust but about finding someone who understands you and accepts you for who are. Though towards the end Lahti allows the melodrama to get away from her, the performances of Brooks and Sobieski keep the film from drifting too far off the path.

There is an interesting comparison to be made here between Sobieski and Brooks in this film and Thora Birch and Steve Buscemi in Ghost World. It’s not just the age difference but also the uniqueness of each of the characters and the reasons why they came together. While My First Mister isn't as entertaining as Ghost World, it has the same emotional depth with a slightly less caustic humor. My First Mister isn't the masterwork that Ghost World is,  it is an entertainingly similar work and worth seeing at least once.