Kajillionaire

This indie drama about a destitute family of petty thieves living in squalor in Los Angeles might seem predictable at first but is actually a slow-burn take on the steep pitfalls of toxic parenting and co-dependency for young adults. It is a blistering depiction of a family living on the edges of society, holding on by a thread and stubbornly committed to its corrupt ways. By day, they are scrounging and stealing whatever they can. By night, they live together in a dilapidated back office under the roof of a forgiving landlord who meekly enforces the collection of the rent. It's an acting tour de force with Evan Rachel Wood giving a subtly potent performance as a young woman who is starved for any affection or emotional nourishment, but who hardly ever questions the family orthodoxy. Jenkins and Winger are riveting as the scheming parents who, for we all know, never took the straight and narrow but who have no qualms about employing their child in their criminal versatility. Although the parents in this film are dirt poor, their undying selfishness is a trait that makes them so Boomer-esque, for lack of a better word. It is not too early in the least to have a film tackle the parenting style of a generation that has become known for its solopsism. Gina Rodriguez is actually quite good as the third party accomplice that this sketchy family chances to come across. She is the first character I can think of who goes from annoying to sexy in the history of cinema. Wood's role as the helpless adult child in the family is compelling. She has known nothing but the life of co-dependency and petty crime at her parents' behest until she sees the first check made out in her name, her first taste of independence, a dwelling without her parents and a new female friend with a shapely body. It becomes the discovery of a lifetime for someone raised by parasites. The film's quirky feel belies the heart-wrenching material in the story of a young woman seeking to heal from the harmful legacy of toxic parents and find her own way in the world. The immense truths it digs into strike a chord for anyone who knows what a cancer that manipulative parents can be. I've waited a long time for a film like this and here it is. Recommended to the highest degree- even to those who cannot relate to this kind of upbringing.

There is no nice way to say this; the world is full of idiots that won't get this film (nor any of the great works of art for that matter). I'm not going to discuss the film other than to say I was surprised by low ratings and glad reviews didn't deter me from seeing this quirky poetic masterpiece, I have not seen anything like it since Charlie Kaufmans glory days (Eternal Sunshine, Adaptation etc). While those are clever little creations of quirk as well, they also work on many different (intelligence) levels, this one however, craves your full attention for the entire time, every scene, line and expression tweaks the story to our and characters continuous surprise. I get some of the criticism, the narrative loses its edge towards the end, but you have to see it for what it is, a declaration of love to the universe, the people in it and snack bags that go pop. I definitely hope to see more from Miranda July and hope she will continue to ace herself both in life and on the big screen. Thank you!