FilmSnobReviews

Title: Lady MacBeth
MPAA Rating: R
Director: William Oldroyd
Starring: Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Paul Hilton
Runtime: 1 hr 29 mins

What It Is: It’s 19th-century England and Katherine (Pugh) is a woman married to a man she cannot stand. Living in a house that doesn’t feel like home. Though she lives a fairly glamorous life she is bored and lonely. When she enters into an affair with one of her husband’s workers she finds something in him and within herself that she never perhaps thought about. Now she will do whatever she can to get who and what she wants.

What We Think: There’s a sexually frustrated theme to this. Every frame drips with it. At the beginning, it’s a shameful almost sin to think of sex. Sex with her husband is a lonely experience, loveless and empty. Once she starts to experience her lover everything changes. Florence Pugh gives an amazing performance in this. The film lives and dies with her performance. Oldroyd uses everything in his bag of tricks to craft a film that will end up flying under the radar. If you can stand the Victorianesque pent up sexual frustration you’ll find a film whose narrative is unique.

Our Grade: B, I can recommend this for sure it’s pretty damned good. It’s not a narrative often explored. It’s especially not explored in the way done so here. Its pacing can be somewhat problematic. Not for me as I enjoy films with a slower pace but some may find it drags in spots. Those who can wrap their brains around the films subject manner may find one of 2017’s biggest gems. If you can find it it is certainly worth the price of admission. See it if you can.