Hall gives an understated performance that steadily unfolds and opens up into something truly flawless. The balance she strikes, the reality she's able to convey, the empathy she shows to the other characters and by extension evokes in us, all taken together by the end of the film it is, in total, a really seismic portrayal. She is funny and emotional but all crescendos and moments build slowly with the mellow and almost mundane feeling of reality. The supporting cast are all equally kind of perfect, all fitting together into this story that feels very True and important but without any pretension and with almost no cinematic style conflict. Things happen but they transpire naturally, it is easy for us to imagine ourselves in this story, in this town, in this restaurant, because it is a reflection of us. Haley Lu Richardson as Maci and Shayna McHayle as Danyelle are the other standouts as Lisa's second-in-commands at the restaurant. Both turns are subtle yet buoyant, inhabiting the story with power and presence but not a heavy hand.
Writer/Director Andrew Bujalski does his most compelling work since 2005's Mutual Appreciation. Because of his slice-of-life style and realistic dialogue all of his films have a feeling of authenticity but Support The Girls not only has that but taps into the current cultural moment with a startling amount of grace. The film addresses race, sexism, divorce, economics but not directly, various issues are shown in how they actually manifest in day-to-day interactions. We follow Lisa on this day- her struggles and past, her ambition and sorrows are all implied, inferred. There is very little that is specifically spelled out as far as plotting or back story and that serves to further the engagement, serves to heightened those moments of actual confrontation and celebration.
Criminally, the film was only briefly released in select cities but is available on Hulu or for rent on Amazon.
Don't Miss It.
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