Writer/director Miranda July’s first film in nearly a decade “Kajillionaire” is quirky and bizarre in a beautiful way, and it brings Evan Rachel Wood’s remarkable star power to a whole new level. The film doesn’t belong to the real world, however, it’s might be a healer for the world we’re living in right now.
The film is emotional and eye-arresting. It re-defines the word “normal” as of July questions us the meaning of family and ourselves. Most of the time, we forget the importance of being alive, but July certainly knows that. “Kajillionaire” is about connection. It’s about how we connect with our parents, with a stranger sit next to you on the plane, and with yourself.
Why babies crawl to mothers’ breasts instinctively? Why people have feelings or fall for someone for no reason? Why we feel loved when we get a hug, a kiss, or been called honey by others? The film is hilarious, heart-warming, and strangely heartbreaking. Wood and Gina Rodriguez are the powerhouses here, and the strong chemistry between them brings the real humanity back to this unrealistic film.
You may or may not notice, but there are invisible boundaries between people nowadays either in the real-world or the Internet, terribly dividing people from others. It’s easy to feel alone and unsettled these days, yet July’s film reminds us of the power of intimacy, love and connection. We all need someone by our side at some points, and we all need “Kajillionaire” to heal us at this moment.
GRADE: A
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- Distributor: Focus Features
- Production: Annapurna Pictures and Plan B Entertainment
- Director: Miranda July
- Writer: Miranda July
- Cast: Evan Rachel Wood, Gina Rodriguez, Debra Winger, and Richard Jenkins
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