TALLULAH
US, 2016, 111 minutes, Colour.
Ellen Page, Alison Janney, Tammy Blanchard, Evan Jonigkeit, Felix Solis, David Zayas, Uzo Aduba, Fredric Lehne, John Benjamin Hickey, Zachary Quinto, Maddie Corman.
Directed by Sian Heder.
Tallulah is quite a striking drama. Ellen Page, an actress with considerable talent from Juno as an emerging star through a number of films and television series. Here she plays a young woman from a very uncertain background, in a relationship with a young man who leaves her. She decides to go to meet his mother in New York City. She has a great capacity for inventing stories and lying.
The mother of the young man is played by Alison Janney in yet another fine performance (winning her Oscar for her mother of the skating star, Tonya Harding in I Tonya).
The screenplay has many unexpected and unanticipated turns. While Tallulah is stealing meals from outside rooms and hotel, she encounters a young woman, Tammy Blanchard, who assumes she is working on the staff and wants her to look after her little baby while she goes out. Tallulah agrees and then absconds with the baby, taking it to Margo, the mother of her boyfriend, pretending that it is theirs.
This provide some complexities of drama, Tallulah and her erratic behaviour, not able to look after the child properly, inventing stories about it, realising that the police are after her and finding ways of avoiding the police, Margo solicitous for and loving the child, dismayed when the truth is revealed.
A further complication is that Margo is separated from her husband who has come out as gay, John Benjamin Hickey with Zachary Quint. Margo and Tallulah visit them but the husband sees through Tallulah and her story.
There is a great deal of pathos when the mother, who is clearly unable to look after her child, is scorned by her husband, not believed by the police, goes out searching for Tallulah and the baby.
While the baby is restored to its mother, Margo takes it on herself to be supportive of Tallulah, especially when her son returns.
An unexpected drama, touches of wry comedy, excellent central performances.
1. The original title, The mother? The three central women and their roles as mothers?
2. The focus on Tallulah, Ellen Page, her age, background story, her mother in the celebration, the father, the mother’s disappearance? Growing up, her problems, grievances? Her relationship with Nico, the two years, travelling round, dependent on each other, and his decision to leave, her reaction, in the car, living out of the car?
3. The New York City locations, streets and hotels, taxis, vehicles? The parks? Hotels and departments? The visit to the country? Police precincts? The musical score?
4. Tallulah, the decision to contact Nico’s mother, her eluding the receptionist, getting upstairs, Margo’s reaction? Leaving, the return? Margo more sympathetic?
5. Tallulah, stealing things, exploiting people? In the hotel, the food from the plates outside the doors? The encounter with Caroline? Caroline’s assumption that she was in the staff? Her not denying it? Fascination with the baby? Playing with it caring, taking it, the CCTV in the elevator? The interactions with Caroline, the judgement? Criticising her way of life?
6. Bringing the baby to Margo, as her granddaughter? Her plausible explanations, an explanation for everything? Tallulah not knowing how to be a mother, yet the bonding with the child? Margo, the threats, to oust Tallulah? Yet caring for the baby, the meals, the clothes, the discussions with Tallulah? Going out into the park, enjoying it? The enquiries about Nico and the way of life? Her apartment, wealthy, carpets, paintings, ornaments? Her criticism of her husband?
7. The story of her husband, the pregnancy, his leaving, the later revelation that he was gay, living with his partner? Margo and her resentments? The visit to the couple, the meal? Her husband and his cross-examination of Tallulah, his not believing her?
8. Caroline, her character, wanting to impress her husband, even becoming a mother, yet not attached to her child? Going out, provocative clothes, make-up? Assuming that Tallulah was on the staff? The return, the missing child, the police? The police and child welfare and they’re not having much time for Caroline? Judging her? Calling her husband, his antagonism towards her, condemnation? The effect on her, wanting to search for the child herself, actually seeing Tallulah and the baby in the subway? The police scanning the TV, identifying Tallulah?
9. Nico turning up, wanting to see his mother, his revelation about the child taking place offscreen? His meeting Tallulah on the wharf, her previous encounters with the young man and his offer to run away with her? Her imagining leaving the baby and diving into the water?
10. Tallulah, concerned about the baby, take into the hospital with Nico, no insurance, not able to fill in the forms? Running away, at the subway? Her decision to return, going to the hospital, her phone call to Margo, the police tracking it?
11. Her holding the baby, the police blocking exit, Caroline arriving, Margo arriving? Giving the child back? Handcuffs, arrested, sitting in the car and looking at the city? The future?
12. Margo, Tallulah having freed her up, the episode with the baby and taking down all the paintings and Margo succumbing? The funding going to the park, levitating – free?
