photo Courtesy Of The New Yorker
Save for the select few independent films that manage to break the popular bubble of the film industry and achieve a relative amount of success and name recognition, not many “indies” reach the consciousness of the general public. Inevitably, there are scores of brilliant films that end up unseen and underappreciated.
One of those criminally-underseen films is Alex Ross Perry’s
Her Smell
. The film stars an enigmatic Elisabeth Moss as Becky Something, a rockstar who is in over her head amidst the downfall of her waning stardom.
Her Smell
is a chronicle of her life and career, told across a series of vignettes that span ten years; it is one of the most bombastic, arresting, and immersive films of the year.
Each vignette has an in-the-moment urgency, wherein the mental and physical state of Becky is betrayed not only through Moss’ performance but through the energy of the camera as well. At its most manic and hyperactive, visuals flash across the screen in a disorienting manner, eliciting a cinematic experience that channels the mental state of the film’s frontwoman.
Moss’ performance is a classic tour-de-force; she carries her character through her highs and lows in a way that is as captivating as it is alarming. Coming off of her recent success in
A Handmaid’s Tale
and a scene-stealing run in Jordan Peele’s
Us
from earlier this year, Moss is at her most raw and uninhibited in
Her Smell
.
While Moss is busy being an absolute revelation as the just-past-her-prime rocker and frontwoman, what really pulls the film together as a successful piece is the supporting cast. Agyness Denn (
Clash of the Titans
) and Gayle Rankin (
GLOW
,
The Greatest Showman
) lead the secondary cast, giving stellar performances as Becky’s bandmates who stay beside her as she unravels. Denn, in particular, serves as the heart of the ensemble. She is a steady figure who counterbalances a film that feels like it is unravelling as quickly as the woman at its center. Denn pulls off the monumental feat of establishing herself as a standout despite the powerhouse performance that Moss delivers.
The rest of the cast also delivers a slew of impressive performances. Notable standouts include Cara DeLevigne, Ashley Benson, and Dylan Gelula as the bright-eyed protegés following in the footsteps of Becky’s punk rock group and Amber Heard as a fellow rockstar who turns to commercial success, powering through the chip on Becky’s shoulder in order to support her even at her cruelest.
Perry’s smart direction propels the film with an impressive emotional thruline, which otherwise might feel too erratic or aggressive; he manages to craft an empathetic and affecting portrait of the woman and the people who love her despite it all.
Aside from its performances, the strongest part of the film is how unabashedly it leans into its musical performances. Similar films might shy away from extended music sequences at the risk of being written off as a “movie-musical.” Perry instead lets
Her Smell
’s musical moments linger, grounding them in the manic energy of the film in the same way that music grounds its lead characters in the relative disarray of their lives. This shines through in the most emotionally honest (and best) scene of the film, in which Moss delivers a stirring rendition of Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” that cuts to the core of her character.
Her Smell is a complex, invigorating, uncomfortable, and empowering ride, helmed by Moss’s career-making performance. The film is a testament to the power of a female support system and the persistence of those who love and surround Becky as she spirals into self-destruction and pushes them away.
The film is a challenging watch but wildly rewarding as well. Do not be surprised if you see Moss’s name popping up amidst dark horse Oscar contenders in the coming months.
Her Smell
is available everywhere on digital platforms now.
