SHOWING UP – Review by Susan Kamyab
It disappoints me to say that not even the brilliant talents of Michelle Williams and Hong Chau help liven up the slow pace of the less than mildly entertaining new dramedy, Showing Up.
Directed/Co-written by Kelly Reichardt, the film follows Williams who plays Lizzy, an unfashionable sculptor who barely speaks and is desperately trying to finish her work that will soon be displayed at an art exhibition. She and her landlord/sort of friend, Jo (Chau) are both working on their art for separate shows.
When Lizzy does speak, it’s in a monotoned and dry voice. She’s bitter, whiny and unfriendly. The opposite of Jo. It seems the only thing that gets her a bit riled up is the fact that she has to repeatedly ask Jo to fix the hot water in her place. That is until the day that Jo finds an injured bird. Unexpectedly, the two of them begin to care of him. This is the first sign of compassion we see come from Lizzy. Though she acts very bitter towards Jo, when the birds fall into her care, she seems to be truly concerned for him.
After you meet Lizzy’s family, I guess it makes more sense why she is the way she is. Her parents are separated and a bit odd. Her mom is the head of the art organization she works at, her dad is a retired artist with no filter that chases younger women, and her brother seems to be on the verge of a mental breakdown. Though they do support her work, it’s not in the most supportive way.
To be honest, there’s not a whole lot to say about this film. The performances are great. They are the reason you will hopefully be able to get through the film. However, the story is too slow and too much of nothing. The most eventful moments are when Lizzy is caring for the bird. And I am sure there is a deep meaning behind all that, but it’s hard to get invested in anything with this movie when you just don’t care about the characters.
It’s not Williams’ fault. Lizzy is such an underwhelming character you hardly feel anything for her. I think it might have been more interesting if we got this story from Jo’s perspective. She has a lot more personality, but we never get to know much about her. Jo and Lizzy’s feisty cat were the most interesting characters, and we don’t get to see nearly enough of them.
It’s great seeing Williams’ versatility, and she continues to prove she can play any role. This particular role just isn’t very memorable.
Reichhart’s intention was to show a “funny portrait of art and craft.” Sadly, there’s not much humor or plot to this film. The art is there, and it’s quite unique. But, again, none of the movie’s minor, redeeming qualities can make up for the character’s or story’s lack of intrigue.
