Review: Shirley

Image courtesy of Neon.

Elisabeth Moss has been literally all over the place these past few years - TV shows, horror movies, indies - and Josephine Decker's "Shirley" is yet further proof that there's seemingly nothing she can't do. From her years as Peggy on "Mad Men" to the present, Moss has never been anything less than consistently interesting to watch.

As iconic Gothic horror writer Shirley Jackson, her latest role feels more in synch with her performance in last year's "Her Smell" than other recent work in that the film doesn't ask you to like the character, and yet it's hard to take one's eyes off individuals who are such intriguing messes. Decker's film is good overall - in fact, it's the acclaimed experimental filmmaker's best picture so far, in my opinion - but it's Moss who holds it all together with her riveting performance.

For those unfamiliar with Jackson's work, she wrote one of the most memorable of all American short stories - "The Lottery" - as well as the "The Haunting of Hill House," which is frequently cited as one of the greatest ghost stories ever written (it's also spawned numerous movies). My personal favorite of her work is "We Have Always Lived in the Castle," which Decker's film strangely mimics somewhat in terms of plot, although the film is set much earlier when Jackson's sophomore novel, "Hangsaman," is being written.

When we meet Jackson, she's at a party with her womanizing professor husband, Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg), who is entertaining the guests. When pushed to answer a question by an attendee, Jackson clams up and the whole affair becomes a little awkward. Arriving in the middle of the party is a young couple - Rose (Odessa Young) and Fred Nemser (Logan Lerman) - who will stay in the famous writer's home while Fred pursues a teaching position at Bennington College.

Rather than receive a warm welcome, Shirley immediately senses that Rose is in the early stages of pregnancy and harangues her about it, while Stanley makes flirtatious overtures toward Rose. Things also become awkward when Stanley takes a roundabout way of suggesting that the young couple do some work around the house - making meals, cleaning up, etc.

The film is told from the perspective of Rose, who at first dislikes Shirley, but eventually forms a strange bond with her as the novelist attempts to overcome writer's block and finds in Rose an inspiration - the other inspiration is a true case story of a young woman who disappeared in the nearby woods. As Rose and Shirley's friendship develops, tensions arise between Rose and Fred, and Fred and Stanley, who smirks at the young professor-to-be's dissertation. The film culminates in an unusual way that suggests one character has almost taken on the personality of another.

Decker's previous films - "Maleline's Madeline," "Thou Wast Mild and Lovely" and "Butter on the Latch" - could best be described as avant garde, experimental works that frequently include elements of horror and occasionally explore various stages of psychosis. "Shirley" includes some of these motifs, such as Jackson's apparently troubled state of mind, and Decker's camera drifts to rest on close-ups of objects such as snails or mist, giving it an occasional surreal vibe. For me personally, the technique worked better for me in "Shirley" than in her previous films because the more avant garde elements of the picture were jarring when combined with a more straightforward narrative.

There's fine acting from each cast member - Young gives a complex portrayal of a young woman discovering herself, while Stuhlbarg projects the same professorial vibe that he did in "Call Me By Your Name," but in this case he's a devious pot stirrer, rather than the understanding dad - but it's Moss who carries the whole thing. As is the case with much of the actress's work, she loses herself in the role, giving the character a sense of pathos even when she's being horrid toward her boarders. "Shirley" is an offbeat biopic that's made all the better by the fact that its filmmaker rarely plays by the rules of that subgenre.