Director: Alex Ross Perry
Writer: Alex Ross Perry (Screenplay)
Starring: Elisabeth Moss, Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens, Agyness Deyn, Gayle Rankin, Ashley Benson
Plot: A self-destructive punk rocker struggles with sobriety while trying to recapture the creative inspiration that led her band to success.
Runtime: 2 Hours 16 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Slow
Story: Her Smell starts as we see how Becky Something (Moss) a punk rocker was on the top of the world before crashing, she is trying to make a recovery with a new young punk band led by Crassy Cassie (Delevingne) comes into Becky’s life, she looks to try and find new inspiration.
Becky continues to show how she controlling ways look to use the people around her, with her stardom being the thing that everyone wants and nobody can gain without Becky’s help.
Thoughts on Her Smell
Characters – Becky Something is the big punk rock star that can sell out arenas, she has a baby, but is still hooked on the drugs and drink which have taken over the life, she doesn’t know how to stop, until it becomes too much for her body to take. She needs to reassess her life before it is too late, clean up her act and become a mother to her young children. We also get to meet the different members of the band through the years, some have always supported her others haven’t, the managers, the young upstarts, everything that is looking to Becky to help their careers.
Performances – Elisabeth Moss is the strongest part of the film, she does bring new versions of herself to life during each chapter of the film. When de look at the rest of the cast, we do get each big name get heavily involved in a different chapter of the film.
Story – The story here follows a self-destructive punk rock star who sees her life spiralling out of control, where she must try to put everything back together before it is too late for her career and parenthood. This story is shot in a method of just diving into chapters of Becky’s life, this does show the biggest moments of her career, be it the destructive moments or the epiphany she required. When it comes to what is happening with the self-destructive punk rock star, it isn’t something we haven’t seen before and often seen more often in biographical terms too. Certain chapters do seem slower than others, while others having a much bigger impact overall.
Settings – The film uses the settings to show the behind the scenes for gigs, the chaos back there too, with the only calm location being away from the stage.
Scene of the Movie – The calm with the daughter.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The jumps are too random.
Final Thoughts – This is a slow moving film that follows the self-destruction a punk rock star could go through and how important the road to recovery can be.
Overall: Slow moving.
