BLACK BEAR
US, 2020, 104 minutes, Colour.
Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, Sarah Gadon, Paola Lazaro, Grantham Coleman, Alex Koch.
Directed by Laurence Michael Levine.
Black Bear is a film about imagination, writing for the screen, differing episodes, similarities and differences, the role of the writer, the role of the actor.
The film is a tour de force for Aubrey Plaza, playing Allison, the writer, seen at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end, sitting at a pool, contemplating, imagining scenarios, going to her room and writing them down.
The film has two parts. The first part is an episode, Allison acting as a difficult film actress, concentrating on writing, coming to the home of Gabe (Christopher Abbott) and his pregnant wife, Blair (Sarah Gadon). Allison is uncertain, embroiderers her life story, later revealed as lies. The three become involved in an intense discussion about feminism, Gabe vociferous on his rather macho views, Blair retiring, then a pool scene with Gabe and Allison and sexual advances with the result that Blair comes out, there is a physical altercation and she is knocked down, possibly a miscarriage.
The second part has Allison as the wife, Gabe is the director of the film and there is another actor, resembling Gabe as a guest in the house. Blair is the visitor of this time. The story focuses on how difficult Allison is, temperamental, being cajoled by Gabe, intense in her part, especially in attacking Blair, then retreating to her room, highly emotional, eventually persuaded to complete the sequence – but then repetition, her discovering Gabe and Blair together. And then she sees the huge bear – symbolic.
A film for those who enjoy complexities of plot and character.
- The title, the bear on the road, the bear at the boathouse, the bear as a symbol of threat, depression?
- The setting, the country house, the grounds, the countryside, the interiors of the house, the interiors as film studio? The musical score?
- The beginning, the framework, Allison sitting alone, at the pool, contemplating, ideas, going to her room, beginning to write? The scene occurring at the middle of the film? At the end of the film? The two parts as imaginative stories by Allison, and her casting herself in different roles?
- Part one, Allison, a writer, actress, coming to the house, meeting Gabe, meeting Blair, Blair pregnant? Awkward conversations, Allison telling stories, later revealed as not true? Her room, settling down, meal, more conversation? The topic of feminism, Gabe and his outbursts, Blair and her responses, Allison involved and not involved, the argument becoming more heated, Blair retiring, Allison and Gabe, the swim, Blair upset, the physical violence, Blair and the possibility of miscarriage, Allison getting the car, going to the hospital? The bear on the road?
- The second story, Allison and her performance, as the wife, Gabe as the husband, directing the film, Blair as the visitor? The crew standing round, doing their jobs, sometimes bewildered, helping Allison? The vivid scenes, her collapse, going to the room, Gabe trying to support her, Baako and her approach to him, his bringing her back? Gabe cajoling her, continuing the scene, the intensity of the performance, the jealous wife, attacking Blair, the different takes? Gabe supporting her at the end of the filming?
- The celebratory party, Blair and Gabe going out to the pool, the repetition of the swim from the first scene, Allison arriving, catching the couple together, her reaction, the bear in the trees, the bear appearing?
- In the end with Allison going back to writing her screenplays?
