Writer's block is one of the worst mental conditions possible for a creative and never would I have thought that a filmmaker could write and direct a story that so accurately portrays that. Lawrence Michael Levine's Black Bear is a fantastic pseudo-thriller that is not at all what you would expect. I went into this film with a general idea of its premise (and the fact it featured Aubrey Plaza did not hurt either) but left with such a wide perspective on how someone could materialize the idea of writer's block. With some absolutely stunning performances from its leads and different styles of editing and cinematography that course through this film's veins, I was entranced by every minute of this. Its darkly comedic and deeply psychological take on such a seemingly innocent thing is what makes this film so compelling; while the twists Levine takes in this story will undeniably turn audiences off, I was mesmerized by what he was trying to say and could not take my eyes off the screen during the entirety of this incredible movie.
Allison (Aubrey Plaza) is an indie filmmaker who is traveling to a secluded cabin in upstate New York to clear her mind and get a fresh start on writing her new film. Her hosts, domestic couple Gabe (Christopher Abbott) and Blair (Sarah Gadon), are initially thrilled to have her but as the first night goes on, the tension and hostility between them all escalate as the line between reality and fiction begins to blur. There will be mild spoilers regarding the plot structure ahead so be warned if that is not something you want to read. It is practically impossible to talk about this film without at least mentioning its biggest perplexity. Part one of this film begins with Allison at Gabe and Blair's cabin and the story continues for about 40 minutes until a terrible accident occurs. Part two then immediately kicks off, as the same actors are placed in the same cabin as the same characters but their roles are entirely reversed and they all seem to be working as part of a film crew. This incredulously massive shift in the plot took me by complete surprise and even after the film ended, I was still reeling on what exactly had happened. Black Bear takes no prisoners with its jarring twist and it is one that I initially hated due to how unexplained everything was. There are many films that are ambiguous for ambiguity's sake and while I was fearing that this film was going to venture into that realm, I was so surprised at how it all came together. The writing and direction throughout this film from Levine are just spectacular and I was so engaged with every line spoken from the actors' mouths. Whether or not Levine is actually a great writer or I was just laser-focused on where the film was going is still up in the air but no matter what caused my attention span to spike, it accomplished it very well. His direction is fantastic, though, and while the first chapter of this movie was uneasy right off the bat, it continued to be so until the beginning of chapter two. The second chapter is very hectic and is able to hit a lot more comedic beats than the first but Levine still transitions between the two with ease. The story takes some big risks that might not pay off for everyone, as it still has me thinking about it, but if there is one certain thing to say about this puzzle-box of a film, it's that it will inspire some discussion for a long time to come.
While the tangible plot of this film is very difficult to initially get invested in, once you do, it is all worth it. Levine's writing also does a great job of manifesting writer's block into a physical idea. The appearances in this film from the titular black bear are meant to signify Allison's writer's block and eventual completion of her film's idea. This is a very abstract take on the idea of writer's block but I feel like Levine did such an amazing job of putting that frustrating mental state to the screen. And it would not have been portrayed so excellently either without the performances throughout this film. Plaza, Abbott, and Gadon are all amazing in their roles and their dark, mystifying presences really add to the general discomfort of the film. Plaza in particular is just the perfect casting for this type of story. Her trademark, deadpan style of humor fits the character of Allison to a tee and really helps to bring out the darkness of her character. Luckily, that is not the only side of Allison the audience sees and we are able to see Plaza embody the more emotional and mentally heavy side of her character just as well. Plaza is absolutely a powerhouse talent and just brings another layer of mysterious talent to whatever role she occupies. The cast throughout Black Bear all work together to make it so incredibly interesting and baffling at the same time but I also really loved the shift in technical methods. The first chapter of this film is shot and edited in a very distinct tone but clearly shifts as chapter two begins. The cinematography from Robert Leitzell and editing from Matthew L. Weiss were phenomenal and while chapter one was slowly paced but deliberately timed, chapter two was much more frantic, almost in a documentary style. I loved this change of technical form in both the camera and post and it really goes to show how much detail down to every last cut Levine wanted to include in his puzzling but deliciously good time of a film.
Black Bear is one of the most puzzling movies I have seen in years but one that really pays off the more you ruminate on it. Only watching this film once might be a viewer's biggest mistake but besides that, who wouldn't want to watch two more hours of Plaza and Abbott? I really wish I could say that I recommend this movie but in all honesty, I can not. This film takes such a niche, unique approach at physicalizing writer's block and while I ended up loving the existential take on its story, I'm afraid that the majority of people will not.
My Rating: ★★★★
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