Last Night in Soho (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
The year is 2020, but a young British woman's love of 1960s pop culture turns into a nightmare as she finds herself melding with an enigmatic singer from that era whose dreams of stardom were replaced by something sinister in 'Last Night in Soho' (a coming-of-age psychodrama cautionary tale - yes, you read that correctly - from writer/director Edgar Wright, of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, et al). Thomasin McKenzie stars as sweet Eloise Turner, a present-day 18 yr. old orphan who lives with her loving grandmother in England's rural countryside. Eloise dreams of becoming a fashion designer, listens to old 1960's music incessantly and, she is inspired by all things '60s London; a bygone era with which she's utterly obsessed.
Fortunately for her, she has been accepted to the trendy London College of Fashion & moves into the dorm, only to learn that she is not a good fit with her mean girl roommate, Jocasta (Synnove Karlsen), or her mean friends. Despite finding a friend in classmate John (Michael Ajao), Eloise moves out & rents an upstairs room from Miss Collins (iconic Diana Rigg, in her last role), a stern landlord in her 80s who sees her new tenant as someone like who she used to be -- thrilled to be in a big city & with dreams of her own. At night, Eloise falls asleep & enters some trippy dreams, where she is transported onto the streets of Swinging London (1965); Thunderball is playing at the local theater & the Cafe de Paris is to place to be.
Once inside, Eloise looks in a mirror & sees herself not as the innocent, mousy girl she is, but as Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), an intoxicating blond & aspiring singer who draws the attention of lecherous Jack (Matt Smith), a self-professed agent who claims he can introduce her to the 'right men'. When Eloise wakes up, she becomes obsessed with Sandie {altering the way she looks & moves to be like her}, and this draws the attention of an elderly man (Terence Stamp) who seems to somehow recognize her. Undaunted, Eloise loves falling asleep at night to 'become' Sandie again. But night after night, she eventually realizes her idolized view of '60s London isn't what it's cracked up to be; especially when she sees Sandie's life turn into the stuff of nightmares. Eloise starts to experience scary supernatural episodes in both settings, all of which has her questioning her sanity. Twists & turns ensue.
2/3 of this movie is seductive, beautiful, interesting, & enjoyably nutty. Unfortunately, the last 1/3 becomes contrived, defies logic & stumbles with what it wants to say. Despite me loving what Diana Rigg offers us in that final act, I was disappointed in how it all wraps up. But 'Last Night in Soho' is a film that certainly looks the part, with Edgar Wright utilizing his distinctive style & verve; shooting London in a very vibrant & striking way. And as an exercise in nostalgia - and how we choose to romanticize the past - this film thrives. We always think that the past was somehow "better" than the now.
I LOVE the far-out '60s soundtrack {including the likes of "Downtown", hauntingly performed by Taylor-Joy}, the aforementioned visuals, & most of the performances. But the narrative leaves much to be desired. The film tries to pay lurid homage to the Italian Giallo Horror flicks of the '70s {i.e. Suspiria}, but it isn't even that scary. And the movie simply does not know HOW to end. The spell is ultimately broken with head-scratching incidents, competing themes & blundered metaphors. All that said, I think it's worth seeing 'Last Night in Soho' for the scintillating heights of the 1st hour as Edgar Wright weaves a spell of dazzling camerawork, kinetic music & intrigue to the mystery of what happened to Sandie. A hit & miss affair, this is.
Fortunately for her, she has been accepted to the trendy London College of Fashion & moves into the dorm, only to learn that she is not a good fit with her mean girl roommate, Jocasta (Synnove Karlsen), or her mean friends. Despite finding a friend in classmate John (Michael Ajao), Eloise moves out & rents an upstairs room from Miss Collins (iconic Diana Rigg, in her last role), a stern landlord in her 80s who sees her new tenant as someone like who she used to be -- thrilled to be in a big city & with dreams of her own. At night, Eloise falls asleep & enters some trippy dreams, where she is transported onto the streets of Swinging London (1965); Thunderball is playing at the local theater & the Cafe de Paris is to place to be.
Once inside, Eloise looks in a mirror & sees herself not as the innocent, mousy girl she is, but as Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), an intoxicating blond & aspiring singer who draws the attention of lecherous Jack (Matt Smith), a self-professed agent who claims he can introduce her to the 'right men'. When Eloise wakes up, she becomes obsessed with Sandie {altering the way she looks & moves to be like her}, and this draws the attention of an elderly man (Terence Stamp) who seems to somehow recognize her. Undaunted, Eloise loves falling asleep at night to 'become' Sandie again. But night after night, she eventually realizes her idolized view of '60s London isn't what it's cracked up to be; especially when she sees Sandie's life turn into the stuff of nightmares. Eloise starts to experience scary supernatural episodes in both settings, all of which has her questioning her sanity. Twists & turns ensue.
2/3 of this movie is seductive, beautiful, interesting, & enjoyably nutty. Unfortunately, the last 1/3 becomes contrived, defies logic & stumbles with what it wants to say. Despite me loving what Diana Rigg offers us in that final act, I was disappointed in how it all wraps up. But 'Last Night in Soho' is a film that certainly looks the part, with Edgar Wright utilizing his distinctive style & verve; shooting London in a very vibrant & striking way. And as an exercise in nostalgia - and how we choose to romanticize the past - this film thrives. We always think that the past was somehow "better" than the now.
I LOVE the far-out '60s soundtrack {including the likes of "Downtown", hauntingly performed by Taylor-Joy}, the aforementioned visuals, & most of the performances. But the narrative leaves much to be desired. The film tries to pay lurid homage to the Italian Giallo Horror flicks of the '70s {i.e. Suspiria}, but it isn't even that scary. And the movie simply does not know HOW to end. The spell is ultimately broken with head-scratching incidents, competing themes & blundered metaphors. All that said, I think it's worth seeing 'Last Night in Soho' for the scintillating heights of the 1st hour as Edgar Wright weaves a spell of dazzling camerawork, kinetic music & intrigue to the mystery of what happened to Sandie. A hit & miss affair, this is.