Review: Die My Love

Image courtesy of MUBI.

Lynne Ramsay's "Die My Love" is an hallucinatory story about a woman with postpartum depression and psychosis that features a bold turn from star Jennifer Lawrence and is sure to alienate audiences nearly as much as Darren Aronofsky's "Mother!," a previous dark turn by the actress that left viewers scratching their heads.

Ramsay's film is an uncomfortable viewing experience and, for many, not what they'd describe as enjoyable. The closest example of another film that comes to mind would be John Cassavetes' landmark "A Woman Under the Influence," but imagine adding photography and a mood that feels closer to the horror genre.

We first see Grace (Lawrence) crawling through the grass near her secluded home - which I believe is somewhere in New York State - with a knife as her newborn sits in a baby chair. Her husband, Jackson (Robert Pattinson), comes outside looking for his wife and takes the baby indoors. The reason for Grace's behavior is never explained but it's all of a piece - whether she's spending time with Jackson's mother (Sissy Spacek) or acquaintances during a baby shower, she's doing something confrontational that is sure to make others uncomfortable.

During the aforementioned baby shower, she peels off everything but her bra and underwear in front of the guests and jumps into the swimming pool with the children. When one mother says to her that people never talk about how hard it is to be a parent, she retorts with, "That's all anyone ever talks about." During a scene at a convenience store, she is shockingly rude to a young woman who comments on her baby.

Ramsay's work has long focused on troubled minds going through some sort of psychosis, from the marvelous "Morvern Callar," which followed a young woman's journey after her boyfriend's death, to the school shooting drama "We Need to Talk About Kevin," and the unsettling hitman thriller "You Were Never Really Here."

Her latest is, perhaps, the one that most fixates on the psychosis itself. This is a film about a woman's unraveling. It's bleak, dark, sometimes complex, and often provides little in the way of answers - for example, there's a subplot in which Grace obsesses about a motorcyclist (LaKeith Stanfield) that feels dreamlike all the way through - or catharsis.

But what ultimately grounds all of this is Lawrence's performance, which is one that I'd categorize as a risk taker. Although one feels sympathetic toward Grace during the course of the film, she's also polarizing and, at times, unkind toward those around her. Her character is equally interesting and off-putting. 

As I'd mentioned before, this film will not likely be an easy sit for many audience members. It takes work and there's little light at the end of the tunnel. It's not one of my favorite Ramsay movies, but it is well made, challenging, and well acted. It's also not easy to shake.