So many Oscar-bait movies out in theaters, so little time!! Here are some disjointed (much like the movie! ha!) thoughts on Edgar Wright's, "Last Night in Soho".
A promising and intriguing concept, with very little substance to back up the flashy lights and groovy covers of vintage songs. The movie had as much meaning as the trailer did.
I will say, it only started getting bad at around the 45 minute mark. The initial set up and premise were intriguing enough, albeit falling into some exposition clichés in the dialogue, such as Mckenzie's character explaining to her grandma how she must go to fashion school for her dead mom's legacy, and then the grandma not so subtly implying that she hopes she doesn't lose her mind again. Ok, so within 5 minutes we know: dead mom. No dad. A lil' unhinged in the head as she sees apparitions of said dead mom. The equation has been set up for us, now we can be curious to see how it gets solved.
Once Mckenzie enters the world of Anya Taylor-Joy's character, already the rules of this world are getting muddled. The visual storytelling didn't help elevate or add to the meaning, but just made it more confusing. You're not sure if Mckenzie is supposed to be Anya at the same time, or is just a mere spectator of the world. Both can lead to different conclusions and meanings, so, pick one, Edgar!
The potential talent of the two female leads were unfortunately wasted, and I don't blame it on them, but on direction and bad character development. Anya seems to just be there to be this ethereal beautiful goddess, which COULD BE FINE, because that could fit in Mckenzie's unrealistic idealization of a past time period, if the ending "plot twist," wasn't a last twenty-minute scramble to try to give Anya's character any meaning.
And the ending! Ah! turned this movie into a half-comedic slasher film which was a complete tonal switch that was unjustified. and the ghosts of perverts-past screaming for help very a la "sixth sense," as if they were haunting Mckenzie all along so they could get justice but wait, wait, wait, wait, the perverts are the victims now? so Anya was the bad guy? That can't be right. I just left feeling like the writers and director had no idea what they were trying to say, and if they don't know, their audience sure won't either. I really failed to see the point in the movie as a whole.
Random side note: the romantic interest, played by Michael Ajao, you'll never convince me he'd want to stick around that long. Mckenzie is clearly unhinged, and he must be as crazy as her to be going along with what she's saying. I'm not fooled!!!
I wish the whole movie had swung in a satirical direction, that could have had some real potential messaging, but perhaps where they failed themselves at its core, is by taking it all way too seriously.