Sharp Stick
At the altitude of the spherical pandemic , quarantines and forlornness became widespread for many work artists in Hollywood . That same closing off contribute author - director Lena Dunham the reflection she needed to produce her late feature , Sharp Stick , after an 11 - yr suspension . Returning to the big screen to lend her voice to women’s lib with esteem to sexual freeing and worked up emergence once again , Dunham ’s late taps into female desires in a judgement - free fabric . Yet something hold back the story back from greatness . Sharp Stickis witching thanks to great performances , but the lopsided script does n’t reach its full potential .
Kristine Froseth stars as Sarah Jo , a naïve 26 - year - one-time living with her female parent Marilyn ( Jennifer Jason Leigh ) and babe Treina ( Taylour Paige ) . yearn to be seen and sick of her mundane routine , Sarah Jo begins an affair with her older employer Josh ( Jon Bernthal ) . But when things develop from simple and comfy to complicated and toxic , Sarah Jo must decide for herself what it intend to be sexually liberated and independent . She ’ll just have to have loss , confusion , and heartbreak in the cognitive operation .
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Lena Dunham ’s motion-picture show begin as a charming evaluation of ego - discovery and consistence taste . However , extra time it evolve into a thinly written narrative that does n’t quite make sentience and fall short of its potency . Through Sarah Jo , Dunham preach sexual awakening and learning to be comfortable in one ’s own skin without judgement . Yet , the means in which she compose these conception is problematic . For one , Sarah Jo learns about her sexual needs as a result of an intimacy . But for a writer who has historically preached about women’s lib , most often through humour , how does Dunham await viewer to leave all judgements behind when her master fiber initiate the matter and smash the livelihood and family of another woman in the appendage ? Never mind the sudden , unexplored steer - up to the decision , but it does n’t prefigure well to frame a story about contentious behavior as plus .
Of course , the problems do n’t end there . The way Sarah Jo seeks validation and sexual discharge is always through world . Conceptually , this would make sense for any heterosexual woman looking for new and exciting experiences . But Dunham also has a big request from her audiences . She expects viewers to conceive that the grapheme is both stunt and passing ignorant on all things sex - related . But inSharp Stick , Sarah Jo has a support system in her mother and sister , two women who are more than uncoerced to have these conversation — so much so that they frequently come up in conversation at a moment ’s notice . However , Sarah Jo just does n’t talk to them about it at all . It ’s a commodious element to the playscript that only precede to confusing and unbelievable moments , and regrettably , they go on often .
WhenSharp Stickisn’t sinking into an eternal ocean of discombobulation , stellar performances from the cast keep this narratively slender characteristic afloat . Froseth soars as the innocent Sarah Jo with appeal and intently soft precision . She is affecting and interesting at all the proper moments . As wait , Paige is a scene thief , and she puts on a show grand enough to overcome the limitations of her character ’s fragile story and maturation . Finally , Bernthal give up a okay operation that can draw looker in on intrigue alone . His character is n’t complex , but Bernthal has the ability to unravel a persona and intrigue audience just by the way he interacts with his view partners .
Dunham ’s homecoming to filmmaking is a controversial one that will certainly divide audiences . It ’s precisely what one would expect from a tarradiddle by the writer - director . Sharp Stickfeels experimental with no honest vision behind Sarah Jo ’s journey of using gender to overcome her irritation with her own body . And yet , somewhere in here was a great moving picture . Unfortunately , keymessages about sexual liberationwithout judgement get lost in interlingual rendition behind a playscript that fails its characters . And anything that Dunham go for to win over audience of has already been achieved in better ways . Luckily , the wonderful shape alleviate any doubt in their ability to take an uneven hand like this one , and they work it into a decent watching experience even if it does n’t reach its full potential .
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Sharp Stickreleases in theaters Friday , July 29 . The photographic film is 83 minutes long and is rated gas constant for strong intimate content , some nudeness , linguistic communication , and drug manipulation .
Kristine Froseth and Jon Bernthal in Sharp Stick
Kristine Froseth and Jon Bernthal in Sharp Stick
