Kajillionaire (2020)
SHOULD I SEE IT?
YES
Stands apart from other films out in the world. Kajillionaire is quirky, thoughtful, and better than you think.
Who knows what awards will even look like for movies in 2020, but Evan Rachel Wood deserves to be in the conversation for Best Actress, with a stellar, tour de force performance.
Miranda July has her fans who will be thrilled she has delivered a third feature film, but Kajillionaire is her most accessible work and is a fascinating film to look at and discuss in the context of the world we are living in right now.
NO
For some, the quirk and tone and vibe of the film will be off-putting at first. I encourage you to stick with it, but mileage may indeed vary.
Moves at a deliberate pace and is a dark comedy, where the humor is less laugh-out-loud and more situational. July also forces us into uncomfortable moments and situations, which some viewers may take exception with.
The very reasons I admire it, might be the same reasons why people can’t get into it.
OUR REVIEW
With the world hurtling toward more uncertainty and potential chaos in a politically charged pandemic, the quirky dark comedy Kajillionaire feels almost as if it was made for these specific times. A film that unearths optimism in the throes of despair, finds an emotionally stunted grifter finding her own voice, and a movie that looks at the impact genuine love and compassion can have on people, Miranda July’s third film is one not easily forgotten.
July’s premise might remind some of recent Oscar winner Parasite, but whereas a destitute family of four created a dangerous co-dependency with a wealthy family in Bong Joon-ho’s instant classic, Kajillionaire finds a family of three knocking off cheap scams and tiny schemes, trying to scrape by from one theft to the next.
The Dyne family have their routine down. When we first meet them, parents Robert and Theresa (Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger) are sitting outside a local post office. Their 26-year-old daughter, Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), is wearing a track suit and large backpack. When given the “go” sign, she does some (unnecessary but awesome) reconnaissance-style rolls and flips, avoiding the post office security cameras. Once inside, she unlocks her family’s post office box, reaches her arm all the way in, and negotiates her hand into the box next to their own. Grabbing the neighbor’s mail, she retreats back outside and the family rips open the bounty to see what, if anything, they can sell or hock.
From these opening moments, we see a criminally resourceful clan, whose initial intelligence on pulling off petty heists and schemes might, at first, seem impressive. Soon however, July introduces a level of dysfunction that uniquely binds them together and may lead to their ruin.
They rent abandoned office space as living quarters for $500 per month and are perpetually in arrears. Robert is a scattershot emotional mess. Theresa is something of a prickly pear, and Old Dolio (her name is explained during the film) is a jumbled heap of a husky voice, flattened red hair, and zero awareness of how to “be” when engaging in and around others in social settings.
If earthquake tremors don’t rattle them, then the pink-hued bubbles which bleed over from the adjacent bubble-making factory just might. Reminiscent of a monster the Dynes cannot run away from, the symbolism of wiping away the imperfections of the past, only to revisit them day after day as they bleed into your world is a nagging reminder of what keeps this family running in circles.
The initial 10-15 minutes of Kajillionaire will likely determine your bandwidth for something like this. Though patience is handsomely rewarded for those who stay open-minded, this is a quirky, off-kilter movie for a good long while until a different movie begins to emerge. As Robert and Theresa fall on the old habits for their schemes, Old Dolio convinces them to board a plan to New York, hatching a foolproof plan to pay back rent and keep a roof over the family’s heads.
What we learn, far before Old Dolio does, is how resourceful and smart she is. And though the trip to New York leads to a few stumbles, a blessing in disguise emerges when Robert and Teresa shock their daughter by befriending Melanie (Gina Rodriguez) and bring her into the fold.
Though Melanie’s motivations to get involved with the family are somewhat forced from a screenplay standpoint, she resembles something Old Dolio has never had to reckon with in the past. Not only is she a fourth individual in the trio’s tightknit world, but she’s kind. She’s nice. A giving person. As Melanie gets to know the Dyne family, Kajillionaire heads off into some interesting directions, but to go into those developments would ruin the surprises July has waiting in the film’s final act.
Named after a slang term used by Robert in the film, July crafts her own bait-and-switch. A story of petty thieves becomes a story of not giving away yourself so easily. Themes of trust and reality play out over a terrific score from Emile Mosseri (The Last Black Man in San Francisco), and the film explores what it means to be a parent, a child, and where the loyalty of those roles factor into the most disloyal of arrangements.
Kajillionaire is driven by a significant, tour de force performance from Evan Rachel Wood. Old Dolio is a fascinating creation, awkward through-and-through, but not even aware of what it means to be honest to herself, much less anyone else. However, she instantly recognizes what she’s missing when she sees her parents respond to Melanie. Wood’s ability to bring out an emotional and physical awakening within Old Dolio is simply a thing of beauty to watch.
Simple gestures of love, kindness, and forgiveness are increasingly taken for granted in our world. For the Dyne family, everything is about the hustle - saying, doing, surviving and adapting from one moment to the next. But when a connection is made, when something genuine is felt, those are the things people are missing more and more. Kajillionaire shows, even in its weird and crazy ways, this is something still possible for all of us.
CAST & CREW
Starring: Evan Rachel Wood, Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger, Gina Rodriguez, Mark Ivanir, Rachel Redleaf, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Diana-Maria Riva, Randy Ryan.
Director: Miranda July
Written by: Miranda July
Release Date: September 25, 2020
Focus Features