Hateship Loveship, Liza Johnson 2013
By Ali Tenenbaum
A teenage girl and her bratty bestie trick a pathetic, loner babysitter into thinking that someone loves her. They send faux love letters from the teen’s father (the always appealing Guy Pearce), and an unexpectedly satisfying movie ensues. It’s well constructed, well written and well acted. I love that a woman directed this film (normally I try not to care about this fact, but the truth is sometimes it matters and it makes me connect to the story in a way that I wouldn’t otherwise). It’s got a feminine touch that is slow, subtle and it sneaks up on you in the best possible way.
Full disclosure - I am a huge Kristin Wiig fan (except for Walter Mitty because my hate on for Ben Stiller outweighs my love of Wiig) so I am biased toward anything she does. I fear she can only do one kind of acting, but it doesn't matter, she is amazing in this. She’s an odd, loveable misfit and you have probably never known a person this simply motivated, naïve, intuitive and kind in your own life. The relationships portrayed are original, funny, sweet and sour and just a tad bit off.
Grandma might like it. Angst-ridden teenagers will too.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.
