Delayed Reaction: The Meddler

Premise: An overbearing widow and mother has to discover her own life rather than be overbearing to her daughter.

 

This is a problem I run into a lot. Is being successfully annoying good or is it just being effectively bad? In The Meddler, Susan Sarandon is expertly playing this character who I would run in the opposite direction from in real life. It's a knowing performance. The screenplay and filmmaker know exactly what they are doing. I think every frame of this movie is intentional and well done. I just don't know how interested I am in being annoyed for an hour for the 30 minutes at the end where I'm a little less annoyed and appreciating some other stuff.

 

I found this to be a thoroughly exhausting movie. If I wasn't someone who finishes all movies on principle, I would've shut it off 15 minutes in. From an aesthetic perspective, I cannot recommend this movie. I had a horrible experience watching it.

 

However, some people have a different taste and tolerance than I do. It's like cringe comedy. Some people delight in it for the clever comedy. I can't get past the sheer discomfort. For those people who are stronger than me, this is a pretty good movie. Sarandon is relishing this role. Outside of Sarandon, the cast is top to bottom a complete delight. Rose Byrne as Sarandon's frustrated daughter: Yes please! J.K. Simmons in charming Sam Elliot cosplay: More, please! Jerrod Carmichael as a random Apple Genius bar employee who Sarandon helps with school: I'd like seconds of that. Cecily Strong, Lucy Punch, Sarah Baker, Casey Wilson, Jason Ritter. I can keep going. Amy Landecker. Billy Magnussen. This cast just plain rules, and it's a world of people who simply don't know how to respond to Sarandon's character. They don't take advantage of her more than she's willing to be taken advantage of. Only Byrne, who has been the recipient of all her attention for years, reacts negatively to her. Really, just thinking back on the movie, I like it a lot more than I didn't actually watching it. Yet I still actively will avoid rewatching it. It's that kind of movie.

 

Even though the humor mostly doesn't work for me, there were a couple moments I really did love. The way Sarandon drops her therapist after the therapist calls her out for her obvious coping mechanisms is terrific. It's like the movie saying "We know what's wrong with her, but that's not really what this is about". Also, the mix-up with Byrne's pregnancy test is simply amazing. The execution on that was perfect.

 

The Meddler: Not for everyone, but very satisfying for this who are into it.

 

Verdict: Weakly Recommend