Madeline’s Madeline is a 2018 thriller about a theatre director’s latest project that takes on a life of its own when her young star takes her performance too seriously.
There is no easy way to explain director/ writer Josephine Decker‘s latest, Madeline’s Madeline. While writing this review, I found it difficult to even come up with a simple plot description, but here goes, nonetheless. There are three lead characters, with Madeline (Helena Howard), her mother Regina (Miranda July) and a film director named Evangeline (Molly Parker). As we’re never all too sure who is at the center of the narrative, let’s try it this from each of their own points of view.
Madeline has just joined a theater troupe where they do engage in avant garde/experimental performances. She lacks confidence and has a hard time expressing herself around others. However, within this group of actors/performers, she can finally let out her true feelings. We learn that her mother is being slightly difficult and does things that embarrasses her. As such, Madeline has an idea for a performance that will put her in her place.
Evangeline is trying to find a lead for her troupe, and may have found her when Madeline joins. No one else has ever just let themselves go like this young lady has. So when she finds out a personal story between Madeline and her mother, she works a way to exploit it.
Regina loves her daughter very much but she is also afraid of her. After she was attacked one night and had her hand burned, she doesn’t quite know how to deal with Madeline’s behavior. This theater troupe at first sounded like a good idea, but it also leads to these unexplained outbursts. Regina is fearful that her daughter could hurt someone, maybe even herself.
The performances from all the lead actors are noteworthy, especially Howard as the title character. She is captivating, despite the complexities of the the story often making it difficult to understand. I would like to see her in another movie. Parker does good work but I never fully understood her character’s motivations. Why does she need to do this performance and why is Madeline better than the rest of her troupe who have been with her longer? The only character I emphasized with was the Regina, the mother. Here’s a woman who was attacked by her daughter with an iron, and yes, she was nagging on her for things we nag on our kids for but to have someone you love attack you in such a way is shocking.
Naturally, Madeline is positioned to be the main character since most of the movie features her, yet there are many moments when the story shifts from her point of view to the other characters. An argument might be made that Decker wanted to tell a story about a mentally unstable woman from the perspective of one. If this is true I guess I wanted to understand more of her than what’s given. Why does Madeline like this troupe so much? Why did she attack her mom? It’s an ambiguous story when it doesn’t need to be. Movies like Enemy or Eraserhead do this perfectly, but Madeline’s Madeline falls flat.
Despite strong performances from the cast, this is a mess of a movie. I don’t mind experimental movies, but its lack of creative visuals and perplexing plot leave it disappointing. What’s interesting is how different the trailer suggested it might be, at least stylistical. There might be some who find this a challenge, and maybe even satisfying, but I suspect most won’t.