Elisabeth Moss has now easily become one of my favorite working actresses, particularly in thanks to Alex Ross Perry's astounding film Her Smell. I am unfortunately not too familiar with much of her previous work, but I sure will be in the future because if this performance has anything to say about her talents as an actress, then she is only destined for greatness. This film is a tour de force of a performance in a story that only sets this main character up for failure; a blaring and spontaneously obnoxious role that Moss completely embodies. Her Smell is a glorious work of punk rock storytelling, emphasized by its mix of almost documentary-style with Perry's careful yet powerful direction. The way that this film is made can often overshadow its actual substance, but in a movie about a disgruntled rocker trying to maintain her sobriety without utterly destroying everyone around her, style is the absolute key. And one that Perry and Moss are able to perfectly encapsulate.
Smack in the middle of her already downward career spiral, Becky Something (Elisabeth Moss) is a punk rocker and lead singer for the band Something She. As her self-destructive and drug-induced tendencies begin to take control of her life, her band decides it would be better to break up. Struggling with her sobriety and taking care of her daughter, Becky realizes that she may need some help to get her life back in order. A destructive rocker who has troubles with keeping themselves together is definitely nothing original in terms of plot. We have all seen the same, trope-filled music narratives that hit every note the same way. What makes Her Smell so magnificent in the face of this tired genre is Perry's risk-taking direction and intriguing script. His script is unafraid to completely launch the audience into the story without any kind of context. This technique is rarely used in film, as it can be a bit too jarring but it worked incredibly well for this story. The script itself might contain a lot of generic dialogue and some predictable tropes, but the way that Perry directs this film is what really makes the experience so engrossing. What stood out to me most and what I absolutely adored was how his direction fit each individual scene for the tone that it was trying to achieve. In fact, this entire film is practically five or six, long scenes played out in real-time and the way that Perry narrows down what style he is aiming for to make each scene so distinctive was extraordinary. This is also aided by the cinematography from Sean Price Williams. His camerawork made these scenes stand out so much because of his use of intensely personal shots and long takes. This not only really helps the audience to face the music but also to feel anxious when Becky was destroying her life and feel tranquil when she was rebuilding it.
A music film about a punk singer can't be that way without its lead rocker and Elisabeth Moss does just that: rocks. Moss was cast excellently in this movie and her range of emotions depending on where Becky was in her life was captivating to watch. The few comparisons to films such as A Star is Born can be obviously noted, but in Becky's case, this was really just A Star is Dying. The care that Moss puts into her character is unmatched, as she was able to bring such a wild dynamic to Becky, whether she be inebriated and wrecking the stage or sober and caring for her daughter. There is a scene later in the film, during the beginning of the third act or so in which Moss sings a rendition of Bryan Adams' "Heaven" to her daughter five or six years after the introduction of the film. This scene alone, with its still use of one shot, was enough to show me how talented and careful Moss was with this performance. It was unforgettably moving and definitely got me feeling some type of way. The supporting cast in this film was fantastic too, including Dan Stevens as Becky's ex-boyfriend Danny and Cara Delevingne, Ashley Benson, and Dylan Gelula as the small-time band that Becky practically mentors. The relationship between Becky and these three, young girls was fantastic to see, as it begins to really embody the idea of never meeting your idols. What the three girls initially see in their hero, they eventually find out in her true nature and it was quite the shock for them to see Becky humanized. This was one of the most interesting pieces of the script and the development between these characters and how Becky subtly mentored them was an incredible added element.
Her Smell is an absolute necessity in the genre of music filmmaking and one that should be much more popular. Moss shines immensely bright in this movie and I can not wait to see what she will do for her next leading role, as I only hope it is as impactful and telling like this was. Along with Perry's masterful direction and a cast of supporting performances that hold their own so well, I will definitely not be soon forgetting about this one.
My Rating: ★★★★
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