Kajillionaire - Review

 

Miranda July’s (“Me and You and Everyone We Know,” “The Future”) films have never been what one would call “mass appeal” pieces. That’s not speaking to their quality, simply the fact that their bizarre and quirky nature isn’t something most audiences would gravitate to. However, her latest film “Kajillionaire” manages to bridge the gap, and is not only her most accessible piece yet, but a strong contender for her best.

Old Dolio, played by Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld,” “Thirteen”), is the daughter of two con-artists; Robert, played by Richard Jenkins (“Six Feet Under,” “The Vistor”), and Theresa, played by Debra Winger (“The Ranch,” “Urban Cowboy”). This family of oddballs is immediately off putting and yet also extremely charming. They try to scrimp and save to pay their rent, while pulling off small cons like pickpocketing, rigging lost and found items, and stealing packages from PO boxes.

There’s an odd veneer of calmness to them despite their dire money situation. They live next to a cleaning company where bubbles constantly spill out of a crack in their wall, they live in an old cubicle office, and Dolio spends nights listening to hold music on her flip phone. It’s as if they live in their own world, completely cut off from the rest of society.

During one of the many earthquake tremors that rupture through California, Robert simply says “if you’re lucky, you’ll get crushed and then you’ll just die right then and there.” The anxiety of money and the vapidness of modern society is rampant throughout the film, and yet July takes an interesting approach to telling this story by not making it society’s fault.

This family could easily crawl out of their pit of debt if they managed to focus, instead of looking for cheap and quick tricks to make a buck. They’re clearly intelligent enough; they constantly keep a schedule to clean the bubble leak and have photographic memory of the bus schedules and theirs even reference to the fact that prior to the unknown event that left them destitute, Robert and Theresa were real estate agents and Robert even had a job with the military.

What turned them into their warped, paranoid selves is never mentioned, but that’s likely because it never feels like their story. While Jenkins and Winger play them with deft hands, never letting their absurdity or crackpot nature out play the dramatic moments, the film belongs to Dolio, both in plot and thanks to Wood’s performance.

This isn’t a comedic tale about wacky con-artists who shoot for the dirt, this is a story about breaking out of the binds of one’s upbringing. When the film shifts to focus almost exclusively on Dolio, it’s a turning point from absurdist humor to an introspective look at this character who becomes more fascinating with each passing moment.

Later in the film, there are numerous moments that some might call on the nose, a parenting class and a paid gig for someone to act like a mother, but for people s far removed from the typical family structure, this kind of shock to the system bluntness is clearly what’s needed. In the latter half of the film, when she’s asked why her parents are her parents, Dolio replies quickly with “We split everything three ways, we have since I was little” and its in that bluntness that the true tragedy at the center of this comedy is exposed.

Evan Rachel Wood’s performance, as well as her chemistry with also excellent mid-film addition Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin,” “Annihilation”), absolutely sells this character. It’s a showpiece for Wood’s ability to truly inhabit characters who’s lives have been less than straightforward with a gentle ease. Dolio’s journey feels a lot like watching a deer being born, she’s struggling to stand and yet so clearly wants to run, and the latter half of the film is utterly enrapturing because of it.

July’s film is shot with a clearly small budget, but its usage of ordinary locations like post offices, run down bars, and average middle-class homes lends it all a very fake sheen. It’s obviously on purpose, but it is a visual treat to watch so many of these moments play out as absurdly as they do in such normal locations.

With its electronic music and Wood’s performance, as well as the green and pink color scheme throughout, there’s a lot that can be written about the film as queer analog. The themes of breaking away from one’s parents and the way July presents it all are heartbreakingly similar to the tales of many kids who’re forced to hide of change themselves due to fears of parental abandonment. It’s a surprisingly meaty film, and in less thoughtful or skilled hands, it would’ve easily been turned into some sort of screwball comedy along the lines of 2016’s abysmal “Masterminds.”

But in the hands of a deft indie auteur like July, “Kajillionaire” is a brilliantly bizarre comedy that nears the title of masterpiece. The performances are perfection, with Evan Rachel Wood easily making the shortlist for the best performance of the year. It’s a sublime and surreal delight that might not be for everyone, but that everyone should try. 5/5