GEMINI

US, 2017, 93 minutes, Colour.
Lola Kirke, Zoe Kravitz, John Cho, Greta Lee, Ricky Lake, Michelle Forbes, Nelson Franklin, Reeve Carney, James Ransone.
Directed by Aaron Katz.

This is a very slow-burning, sometimes very very, story from Hollywood, a young successful actress and her agent and friend, there is many women in their lives.

The writer-director also acted as editor, ensuring this slow pace with a touch of contemplation of the environment of Los Angeles.

Zoe Kravitz is the actress, quite wilful, unwilling to continue to make a film according to her contract. Lola Kirke is her friend and agent. An insistent fan intrudes on their meal at a restaurant, asking questions, wanting photos. There is also the actress’s boyfriend, a screenwriter who is offended by the actress and her not cooperating, and an intrusive paparazzo. There is also an Asian- American woman, friend of the actress, as well as a demanding producer.

The actress behaves erratically, going to a restaurant, doing karaoke, returning home, asking her friend whether she had a gun or not, the friend getting it out and it going off accidentally.

This is the setting for the friend returning home and finding the actress lying dead on the floor, five shots. She is immediately under suspicion. Other suspects are interrogated, especially the screenwriter and the boyfriend who has no alibi but asks someone to furnish one.

There is an agreeable detective, John Cho, who investigates and takes a liking to the friend and agent.

The agent has strange behaviour, dyes her hair, goes visiting the screenwriter, searches the apartment of the boyfriend, finding some coins as she also does in the Asian friend’s house.

In many ways this is a red herring. The actress is not dead – it was the intrusive fan that she shot.

The characters are not particularly attractive and the film as a whole is a slow burn. It did screen at the Locarno film Festival but its following might be rather slight.