吞咽

Two 2019 feature debuts from aspiring filmmakers that hold fast our zeitgeist by putting a female character in the dead center. Kitty Green’s THE ASSISTANT is exclusively lensed from our titular heroine’s perspective to cast a startling light on a salient social issue in the wake of the notorious Weinstein effect; meanwhile, Carlo Mirabella-Davis’ SWALLOW, doggedly builds up a reductive dissection of a young, gravid bride’s eerie disintegration, by dint of uncomfortable body horror tropes to reify her pica affliction.Adhering to her technique developed as a documentarian, Green adopts an uncharacteristic angle to tackle her unsavory subject matter. In THE ASSISTANT, Garner plays Jane, a junior assistant in an unspecified NYC film production company, and the film takes place during her overlong working hours on a hectic Monday. We watch her being picked up by a limousine to work long before daybreak, and follow her in clerical drudgery, see the big shots from her peripheral vision and hear things only within her earshot. By doing that, Green risks narrative clarity and leaves the scandalous skinny in connotation or off-screen, consequently the film rather invites an immediate revisit to suss the implications of every casual dialogue and throwaway joke, and for better to piece together what is going on.Green’s strategy, not audience-friendly, but totally chimes in with Jane’s grunt-level existence in the company, but felicitously, do we really need to see those sordid goings-on with our own eyes? We shall all be thankful to Green for being so considerate in her approach, because such a canker, condoned systemically by the industry and beyond is better limned as this immaterial, omnipresent force of vileness, penetrating every couch and behind every closed doors in every office and hotel room, it is everywhere therefore it must be put paid to. Carrying the entire film on her slender shoulders, Garner exhibits strenuous stamina and restrained body language as the doormat (Jane is a sponge absorbent of the negative outpourings of the boss’ wife) and the dogsbody (she is virtually invisible in front of her superiors and other colleagues), even the two male assistants callously exploit her newness (only being there for 5 weeks), or maybe also because she is a she, and let her bear the brunt of blame and verbal abuse. Yet, in her position, she has no right to say otherwise.Jane aspires to be a producer, and she knows all too well that she must pay her dues and turn a blind eye on the seedy matters, if she wants to make it. But on the off chance when that actually happens, she will have already become one of the silent connivers in that toxic working environment (implied by the unseen boss’s sinister motivation). Moreover, she should considered herself lucky, according to the head of Human Resources (Macfadyen), simply because “you are not his type”, it’s all so reassuring! Macfadyen has that peculiar air of faux-earnestness, mixed with veiled hubris, to express the warped normalcy as if it is the most commonplace words to utter, whereas Garner is so utterly disconcerted and anguished in her botched worm-will-turn rebel, their exchange is the crescendo of this gritty film.Incredibly, THE ASSISTANT plays up the working place’s drabness, impersonality and functional symmetry to keep us absorbed with its coded message. However, SWALLOW is so stunning on the eye level, the young couple, Hunter and Richie Conrad (Bennett and Stowell) are gorgeous, their affluent, minimalistic upstate NYC residence with a killer view, is often filtered through prismatic hues to emphasize the magic power of money.But what happens inside is far less majestic, Hunter, hailed from a lower class, is maladaptive to her new ascendancy as the cinderella, who has a bun in the oven and develops an anomalous appetite for inedible things (including some small sharp objects, those swallow scenes are fastidiously arranged, and not for the squeamish). Does she subconsciously want to lose the baby? and why is that? A thought never occurs to our prince charm Richie, instead, his family hires a burly minder Luay (Nakli), a Syrian immigrant, to keep an eye on her minute by minute to forestall any self-inflict harm, solely for the safety of their precious progeny.If the plot is piled up with unmitigated clichés (cruel, senseless rich people, good-hearted immigrants, a fable of perfect family of origin, the psychological manipulation of negging and nonpology, the list goes on and on…) and Mirabella-Davis might be a lousy fabulist, what gives vitality to SWALLOW, besides Katelin Arizmendi’s stylish cinematography, is Bennett’s metamorphic performance. A frail flower distressed by her parentage (the cat will be let out of the bag later) and conjugal negligence, Bennett, who looks like a poor girl’s Jennifer Lawrence, grandly inhabits Hunter’s compulsion, disorientation and exasperation with such astonishing finesses, one cannot take eyes off her. Even when we cannot relate to Hunter’s weird condition, we are compulsively intrigued by Bennett’s nuanced delivery and delicate mannerism, hoping some deus ex machina can materialize to save her.Eventually, Mirabella-Davis grants Hunter a touching closure (Denis O’Hare’s brilliant cameo is exactly what the doctor ordered, he can proficiently pull off a complicated emotional range in meager minutes, though on paper, the reconciliation is still a mawkish cliché) and the final shot statically looking at a lady’s room with people come and go writ large the film's emboldened stance: pro-life and pro-woman.When all is said and done, both THE ASSISTANT and SWALLOW are promising works well wrought by their emergent creators, together, they paint a vivid picture of the wrongs (in the working place or in one’s own home) inflicted upon women by faulty, haughty, selfish men, but they are not just reproachful to the stronger sex, their artistry underlies more hope in women’s resilience, Jane might walk the plank the next day, she can at least have peace with herself and knows better of her goals, as for Hunter, starts anew and puts aside a failed marriage, together with her psychogenic malady, scrumptious comestibles are beckoning and cinderella can get stuffed!referential entries: Darren Aronofsky’s MOTHER! (2017, 6.6/10); Cory Finley’s THOROUGHBRED (2017, 6.5/10); Leigh Whannell’s THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020, 6.9/10).

Title: The AssistantYear: 2019Country: USALanguage: English, MandarinGenre: DramaDirector/Screenwriter: Kitty GreenMusic: Tamar-kaliCinematography: Michael LathamEditing: Kitty Green, Blair McClendonCast:Julia GarnerMatthew MacfadyenNoah RobbinsJon OrsiniKristine FrosethDagmara DominczykAlexander ChaplinPurva BediJuliana CanfieldMakenzie LeighPatrick WilsonRating: 7.4/10

Title: SwallowYear: 2019Country: USA, FranceLanguage: English, ArabicGenre: Drama, MysteryDirector/Screenwriter: Carlo Mirabella-DavisMusic: Nathan HalpernCinematography: Katelin ArizmendiEditing: Joe MurphyCast:Haley BennettAustin StowellElizabeth MarvelDavid RascheDenis O’HareLuna Lauren VelezLaith NakliBabak TaftiZabryna GuevaraRating: 6.9/10

女权主义、供厂主义片子。

跟精神病一毛钱关系没有，法国人就是喜欢别出一格，其实现代法国在世界艺术史上半点贡献都没有。

为什么1.女权主义，就是她有随意堕胎权，完全不要考虑男性的态度！

荒谬，八九个月的生命在你女权眼里不如一条狗？

男人的眼泪不如你的骄傲“尊贵”？

2.供钙主义。

自己去悟，不便多说，提醒一下，家人的关爱成了有些人眼中社会高层对一无所有者的控制，是阶汲矛盾吗？

我怕是你脑子有问题。

想当年我一位至亲亲人精神病发作我父亲无奈把她绑住喂药，你们这些社会家说一说、这是哪种阶吸压迫？

嗯？！

其实应该是三星半吧。

很多人会觉得女主矫情，但是精神疾病就是只要经历过、被压垮过的人才明白，我们是没有什么理由评价她是不是因为矫情才生病。

女主演技和颜值撑着整部片，节奏是真的慢，我也没有感受到足够的压抑和诡异气氛，但是真的很喜欢片的色调和音乐。

故事很明确，女主一个灰姑娘，没特长，嫁给富二代，却被婆家忽略，加上本身是母亲被强暴的产物，因此患上异食癖开始吃钉子吃金属吃泥土。

本质是她对自我的否定和自我失控。

我比较喜欢的是片子里“卫生间”的运用。

片子最后就是一段看似没有内容的女子卫生间，一群人来来往往，来了又走。

但是卫生间在片中其实出现了好几次，女子吞下异物后再卫生间拉出来再洗干净、女主在护工监督下也是藏在卫生间吃东西、女主从家里逃走也是借由卫生间、最后女主离开卫生间。

如果是女生应该会对“卫生间”这个点有共鸣，这是提供安全感和隐藏秘密的地方，这是“私人空间”。

每个人都有卫生间的小秘密。

我满头问号地看了前一半时就感觉每个人都不太对头。

男主一家不会聆听，别人讲话的时候插嘴，女主说话的时候，男主父亲一下就打断她，跟儿子谈业务，然后男主一家其乐融融的说话，把女主当空气了。

不从别人的角度思考，说一些ky的东西。

儿媳妇怀孕了的时候跟短发的她说她老公喜欢长发漂亮姑娘真的好么？

女主不满的时候也不会说，不关心别人怎么想，喜欢自说自话，不知道怎么吸引注意力，全程阴郁。

太诡异了看不下去了，这家人都有毛病吧？

虽然是婚后怀孕期的异食癖，但更多的是在折射男女主婚姻中的问题。

男女主双方沟通存在问题，双方都很自以为是，也都在高估彼此。

先看女主，你到底是真的开心，还是假装自己很开心？

如果战乱年代，吃不饱穿不足，生命朝不保夕，是否还会这样？

女主以为嫁入豪门，成为阔太就是幸福。

但内心深处的自卑感，让她无法真正融入豪门生活，婚后拥有了足够的时间和金钱，但是她觉得压抑。

她在拥有这些豪门面上的荣誉后，发现自己真正想要的是陪伴而不是孤独，豪门生活让她内心孤独寂寞。

最后堕胎离开，也是反抗，她没做好成为豪门阔太的准备，她没有办法真正接受自己现在拥有的一切，她压抑苦闷，或许未来她会拥有一个24小时陪伴在她身边的普通男人，这比豪门太子更适合她。

再说男主，霸道总裁人设吧，可以看出是事业心特别强的人。

爱女主吗？

是有的，成为公司继承人的发言，结婚后的新房子，床头边的情话，发现妻子异食癖后安排的心理医生以及监控妻子饮食的助理。

这个是爱情吗？

有点不好说，或许对于豪门而言，并不存在真爱，他爱的是合适的妻子，乖巧安静的家庭主妇，只要能够满足条件的女性，纵然是换个人也一样。

丈夫或许对于他而言只是另一份工作。

这些感觉有些像爱情三观分析一样了！

鱼和熊掌不可兼得，总说成年人都想要，都是毒鸡汤，哪有想要的，付出努力就能得到的。

想要豪门生活，有想要丈夫24小时的陪伴和无条件的支持，本质上就是不可平衡的，必须有所牺牲。

想要一个乖巧听话的老婆，又不能随时陪伴左右给她足够的安全感和幸福感，这也是不可平衡的，只能进行选择。

女主的异食癖算是一种家庭心理压力下的反抗，脱下异物后身体的反应，让她感觉到掌握自我，至少掌握身体上的自我。

婚姻，还是找寻适合彼此的人吧！

爱情的选择不一定是婚姻。

有时自由才是。

你吞咽了世俗的婚姻，也许就吞不下世俗的孤独。

风景再美，内心荒芜。

橱窗再大，内心憔悴。

你吞的下稀奇古怪的一切，却咽不下一成不变的漠视。

填不满的是寂寞。

有时爱人不如花园里的泥土。

那些曾经在乎你的说法，不过是他人成功路上的获奖感言。

满堂溢满赞许的，未必是对你投来的目光。

女人啊，其实你生来就孤独。

怎么才能找到自我救赎出路。

没有做任何功课去看的电影，空白去看的，你会发现这个电影的名字为什么会叫吞咽吧，视觉很喜欢，对比色，镜头感超级好看。

黄色与紫色的对比，包括家里的陈设很好看，女主布置家里的品味并不觉得是草根出身。

一开始觉得她的行为是不想要这个孩子，后来可能才知道她心理有问题，但是女主精心宝宝房，又觉得内心是个很矛盾的人

个人觉得人物的心里变化描绘的比较细腻，看的过程会担心女主的身体吧，比较费解，但是也是更希望去理解心理有问题的人整个故事可能趋于更多的不合理性，或许只是一个框架，或许这个不合理性更强调了人设的背后的故事。

女主很漂亮，演技也不错。

这个片子里除了女主就没一个好人，导演就是想表达人性的冷漠。

有些评论说女主闲得慌，拜托，人家是有精神病，精神病不是闲出来的，是从小的环境日积月累影响的，像这种有精神疾病的人，最需要的就是关爱，女主感受到了吗？

你看她接触的人，从她的丈夫，还有公公婆婆，哪个真正关心过她，女主需要陪伴，需要真正的关心，她的家人没有给她，女主丈夫和婆婆常说的就是，我们不可能24小时陪着你，这是关心吗？

你们那么有钱怎么就不能24小时陪着她了？

真关心她，希望女主好起来，总有办法陪伴的。

其实她的丈夫就把她当做性爱娃娃，花瓶。

她和她婆婆公公吃饭，没人在乎她说什么，也没人在乎她过去的故事。

她婆婆跟她聊天，说什么你真幸运遇到了她儿子，她婆婆觉得她过去的生活很垃圾，其实人家以前挺自立的，明显有钱人高高在上瞧不起普通老百姓的样子。

由于女主身世问题，女主从小就怕给别人添麻烦，一直战战兢兢的生活，她说她母亲养父对她很好，可是当女主给她母亲打电话想回去住的时候，她母亲说家里没地方，那是真对她好吗？

只是女主的一厢情愿而已。

还有那个护工，一副冷漠脸，也不跟她交流，整天被这样的人跟着，换谁都不舒服，还有那个汽车旅馆打扫卫生的女工，也是冷漠脸，哪有那么敲客人房门的？

好在女主最后做出了抗争，找她生父，是她对过去的自己做个了断，最后流掉孩子，寻找新的生活，说明女主没有放弃生活的希望。

片子整体很值得回味，影片营造的压抑氛围也很好，最后的长镜头看得人心情马上随着歌曲舒畅多了。

经常会看到异食癖的新闻，大家都会以猎奇心态围观，但很少有人之后背后的故事。

这种电影很容易加入大量惊悚血腥场景，导演很节制的好好讲故事，挖掘家庭全职女性的生活困境。

开头的豪宅河流很明显看出女主生活在衣食无忧的哈德逊河岸边富人区，在我准备开始羡慕她的时候却看到她生活的压抑无趣，简单的消消乐，为丈夫准备的快手晚餐两人毫无共同话题，夫家只视她为生育工具，我甚至都能猜到他们一家是共和党支持者，于是她尝试寻求生活的刺激。

拿出一小盒东西，可以看出这不是她第一次这么干了，吞咽异物能让自己有不断尝试新鲜食物，挑战自己的极限的，他希望在小小的天地有新鲜尝试，从养花到拥抱丈夫的同事，寻求一切能安抚自己的事情，当然吞咽异物也是最有快感的事情。

直到被发现，直到遇到绝境，逼迫她自我意识觉醒重新生活，挺好挺好，鼓励新世纪女性不要做金丝雀。

评论太可怕，喜欢剧情跌宕起伏险象环生的电影，请携家带口去看贺岁档大电影。

这部片子从画面、节奏、演技、配乐哪一点都足以原谅剧情的不足吧。

这么低分实在可悲。

女主炸裂的演技，让我迫不及待的想看她黑化进行报复，但后半段女主选择放下，说明女主心中还是一直抱有对生的希望，从女主之前养花，布置家可以看出女主是一个内心充满希望的人。