Love Lies Bleeding is one of those movies that we are not sure what to expect and in this case against all the social drama now days it deliver a great performance, just because I gave it a 7 does not mean I did not like the movie, on the other hand I feel critics giving a 9.5 is just exaggerated. Set in New Mexico in the year 1989, this film is directed by Rose Glass in her feature film debut after the critically acclaimed Saint Maud. We are introduced to Lou, played by Kristen Stewart a gym manager who is trapped in a town because of her sister’s abusive partner. Meet Jackie an aspiring bodybuilder played by Katy O’Brian, a woman who comes into town with nothing but her suitcase they meet and a love affair sparks up the moment they see each other, that goes along with crime and a lot of drama. As I expected this is not a simple romantic movie it is a story of life, of fight and of the ways people try to free themselves from the chains they are in. It is a film of many genres, neo noir with a hint of horror and some black comedy too, which takes place in the 80s. The film is a true example of Glass’s talent in writing a story that is intriguing and at the same time disturbing, with characters that are as imperfect as they are compelling. On this blog post I try ti describe my perspective and impression at the actors, the plot, the unexpected turns and the themes that make this movie one of the best films of this year 2024.
- IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt19637052/
- Platform: Amazon Prime Video
The Setting and Characters
The film is based on a small town in New Mexico and the time of the movie is set in the late eighties as seen from the music and clothing, the entire environment and surroundings was very spot on to the era, this is kinda of becoming a trend on 2024 with 80s and 90s theme productions. The abusive marriage of her sister makes her remain in the town and not be able to chase her own dreams, Stewart has portrayed the character of Lou in a very natural way and the audience can’t help but support her.Jackie on the total opposite side is a force of nature, a bodybuilder who wants to get her big break and win a competition in Las Vegas, she is a woman on a mission. Katy O’Brian does an amazing job in portraying Jackie and her desire and conflict, she looks different and that is quite striking but what is even more remarkable is the change in her character. The chemistry between Lou and Jackie is very good and the two characters are the most developed in the film, it is a love story where both characters are at their best and at their worst with each other.
The cast of supporting characters is also rather strong with Jena Malone who portrays the role of Lou’s sister, a woman who is trapped in a cycle of violence, while Dave Franco is rather spooky as her husband. Ed Harris is the best among the cast as Lou Sr. , an owner of a shooting range who is also a criminal, his character is omnipresent in the movie and gives the film a sense of threat and chaos.
Plot and Themes
The story of the film is full of twists and turns and is a real emotional ride. Lou and Jackie are an item and their relationship is not very healthy as secrets are revealed and both of them lose control over their lives, its that toxic relationship where they say they love each other on the inside but on the outside they are full of secrets from each other and when ever one of those are reveal its chaos all over the place. The film raises the issues of power, domination, and the retribution for the committed deeds, this is the story of liberation, the story of liberation from the past and the creation of a new world, and that's essentially what they needed to be able to move forwards, just let all secrets come out putting their relationship at test and start fresh.There is no lack of action and some of the scenes are quite gory and intense, but it is not senseless violence; every violent action has a motive and is used to advance the plot and the characters’ development, it does not felt flat or disoriented. The film also has elements of identity and self care, especially in relation to bodybuilding, it is not only the story of how she changes her look but also the story of how she learns who she is and what she can do.
The ending of the film is something that has to be seen as the director did a great job with building up the tension, when Lou and Jackie go head to head against Lou Sr. , the tension rises to an all new level, it is a great climax and I think every time people confront a bully in their life and overcome, it does feel like starting fresh, similar case to what happen here.
Cinematic Style
Rose Glass’s direction for Love Lies Bleeding in simply awesome, she did a great job at keeping all theme alive and well balance. She has a good attention to detail and was able to describe the rough environment of the film while at the same giving it that 80s vibe. The movie is visually appealing with long shots of the desert and close up shots of the actors which give them enough time to visually describe their feelings.The music score of the film by Clint Mansell is in complete sync with the visuals of the film, coming from an era with lots of classics as background music, it is a combination of electronic music and some rather OG tunes that complement the movie. The music is very well integrated, especially the songs of the eighties that give a sense of deja vu to the events of the film, lots of nostalgia for a large part of the audience, 80s is not too far from were we at.
One of the most significant advantages of the movie is the author’s ability to combine different genres, it is neo noir but there are also shades of horror, romance and black comedy with this kind of a hybrid approach is rather puzzling and the audience is never quite sure what to anticipate next so the movie does not become that predictable.
When Things Go Wrong
Although Love Lies Bleeding has been hailed as a daring film with excellent acting, it has not been exempted from criticism. Some critics complained about the film’s rhythm and pace but I think we need to consider this is mostly a drama film, especially in the second half of the movie when the story tried to address all the conflicts that had been created in the previous scenes, it did felt slow but I think its understandable for the most parts. Some viewers complained online that the move from the highly charged character conflict to more standard crime solving plot was a step down and that the movie lost some of its early momentum. However, while the film is a bit loaded with sensationalist, over the top elements which can be fun in some cases, some viewers found this to be too much and took away from the emotional weight of the characters. The surreal and the fantastical were also used to the very end and while some fans found these elements to be rather silly or incoherent, others clearly loved them, the film does go to both ends of the rope. For a part of the audience this is a controversial movie based on the themes and topics it touch which are still big hitters in society now days so its understandable that the audience probably was looking for them to be more develop although we need to understand the bases of the movie and that its not a documentary.
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