Deep In "The Drama"

To understand what kind of film "The Drama" is, and whether you're likely or not to enjoy it, you've got to ignore the stars for a minute.  We'll get back to them soon, I promise.  Right now, let's note that the film was written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, a Norwegian filmmaker whose one previous English language film was "Dream Scenario" with Nicholas Cage.  It was an A24 film that got good reviews, but almost no mainstream attention.  Borgli's American films have been produced by Ari Aster, and they have the same sort of bleak, pitch-black comedic tone as Aster's films like "Eddington" and "Beau is Afraid."  Borgli's films aren't as nihilistic or anxiety-inducing, fortunately, but I still found "Dream Scenario" a tough watch because the main character was so alienating, the story was a downer, and the worldbuilding felt a little off.  Fortunately, "The Drama" manages to move away from this, to its benefit. 

Firstly, "The Drama" is working off of a much more audience-friendly premise, with a cast of charismatic young actors.  Emma (Zendaya) and Charlie (Robert Pattinson) are a young couple in love and deep in the process of wedding planning.  One night, when they're out with their married friends Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamadou Athie), they all have too much to drink and confess to the worst things that they've ever done.  Emma's confession is so unexpected and disturbing that Charlie starts rethinking their whole relationship.  The reaction of their friends also prompts soul-searching and paranoia on Emma's part, and she's determined to keep the damage of the revelation from spreading.  I'm not going to spoil what the revelation is or the various twists and turns that happen as a result, but I caution that the characters are often difficult, and the anxiety ramps up to uncomfortable levels at times.  Borgli's filmmaking approach is still pretty astringent.  The character reactions and dynamics occasionally feel off, possibly because Borgli's a European filmmaker making a movie about mostly American characters, and doesn't quite seem to grasp how Americans deal with this kind of controversial subject matter.  It's similar to how Luca Guadagnino's take on sexual harassment in "After the Hunt" didn't quite ring true, with the whole situation coming off as very contrived.  

Fortunately, Borgli does manage to get the tone of the picture right, and the actors make up for any weaknesses in the writing with their performances.  Zendaya and Robert Pattinson are both very good, share reasonable amounts of screen chemistry together as a couple, and manage to make all the conflicting aspects of their characters make sense onscreen.  Zendaya has the tougher part as Emma, who we also see as a teenager played by Jordyn Curet.  This is supposed to be somebody who has been hiding a deep, dark, awful part of herself for years, whose little idiosyncrasies could be totally innocent, but maybe they aren't so innocent.  Zendaya's screen persona is perfect for this, as she's frequently playing unimpressed girlfriends and love interests who are a little smarter and a little cooler than the heroes trying to keep up with her, behavior that can read as abrasive with a few adjustments.  Pattinson is in everyman mode, endearingly ruffled during the meet-cute scenes, and using what appears to be his real accent.  His job is to let his suspicions get the better of him and spiral in a believable, entertaining way, and spiral he does. 

And what's more, the humor worked for me.  It helps to keep in mind that every single one of the characters are being absolute hypocrites about the behavior they do and don't find acceptable.  The film isn't making light of the terrible things that are discussed, but targeting the attitudes and the assumptions of the people involved.  I also love the portrayal of the absolute hell of trying to put together a big wedding, with wonderfully awkward encounters with a photographer played by Zoe Winters, and DJs played by Sydney Lemmons and Jeremy Levick.  Borgli's also not treading in territory that's nearly as dark or as nihilistic as I was expecting.  Yes, bad things happen to Emma and Charlie, but they're kept at a reasonable scale.  There's always the threat that something really outrageous and life-ruining is going to occur, but all the events of "The Drama" turn out to be something that you could reasonably see happening in real life.  

Because this isn't a horror or thriller film, and the comedy is not very broad.  "The Drama" is what it says on the poster - a pretty solid dramedy.  And that's rarer these days on the silver screen than it should be.   

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