Tag Archives: Miranda July

Kajillionaire (2020)

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Kajillionaire
Director: Miranda July
Writer: Miranda July
Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger, Gina Rodriguez, Mark Ivanir
Part of: Viennale
Seen on: 1.11.2020

Content Note: abusive parents

Plot:
Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) lives with her parents Robert (Richard Jenkins) and Theresa (Debra Winger). They live rather unconvetionally, getting their money through full-time grifting. But their small crookery is never really enough and they dream of making it big some day. When Robert and Theresa meet Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) by chance, they ask her to join them for a big heist they’re planning. This throws Old Dolio completely for a loop and none of their lives will remain unchanged by that decision.

Kajillionaire looks like a comedy, and it often is funny, but there is an underlying sadness to it that really makes the film. I really liked the mix and the film.

The film poster showing Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood) surrounded by a lot of stuff, all in front of a pink background.
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Madeline’s Madeline (2018)

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Madeline’s Madeline
Director: Josephine Decker
Writer: Josephine Decker, Donna di Novelli
Cast: Helena Howard, Miranda July, Molly Parker, Okwui Okpokwasili, Julee Cerda, Sunita Mani, Felipe Bonilla, Lisa Tharps, Curtiss Cook, Reynaldo Piniella
Part of: FrauenFilmTage
Seen on: 5.3.2019
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Plot:
Madeline (Helena Howard) is part of an improv theater group, currently working on a production of Three Little Piggies under Evangeline’s (Molly Parker) direction. Madeline gets along very well with Evangeline and not so much with her own mother Regina (Miranda July). When she has a dream about hurting Regina, Madeline confides in Evangeline. Evangeline feels inspired by Madeline’s problems and starts using her life for the theater group, even roping in Regina.

Madeline’s Madeline was the only film I managed to see at the FrauenFilmTage this year, and then only a 9.30pm-on-a-weekday screening was possible for me. But I wanted to see the film so much, that I braved that screening anyway. And even though I regrettably fell asleep for some of it (not the film’s fault at all), I managed to see most of it and the parts I did see where absolutely fantastic.

The film poster showing Evangeline (Molly Parker), Madeline (Helena Howard) and Regina (Miranda July) poking their heads through a red curtain. Around them several (much smaller) people can be seen on stage clouds, floating around them.
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The Future (2011)

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The Future
Director: Miranda July
Writer: Miranda July
Cast: Miranda July, Hamish Linklater, David Warshofsky, Isabella Acres
Part of: Viennale

Plot:
Sophie (Miranda July) and Jason (Hamish Linklater) are a couple in their thirties. Both are stuck in jobs that don’t really mean much to them, spend most of their time in the internet and don’t really have any responsibilities other than for themselves. But then they decide to adopt a stray cat, Paw-Paw (voice by Miranda July). It is hurt pretty bad, so it has to stay at the shelter for another month to heal up. A month, Sophie and Jason want to use to re-evaluate and re-arrange their lives.

The Future has its moments, but it also has a lot of quirky existentialism that just isn’t my cup of tea.

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