'Love Lies Bleeding' Body Builds Its Way Toward a Dynamic, Yet Bumpy, Narrative
Writer/Director Rose Glass takes a mighty swing at the thriller genre, but it's a slight miss in the end. Love Lies Bleeding has a B movie quality mixed with the substance of an indie film. The movie is a female spin on the thriller genre. This type of film would usually be played by a predominantly male cast. Love Lies Bleeding has a deep focus on body-building physique. Except it's on women in the gym. An area not often explored in cinema. However, I am aware of films like Pumping Iron II: The Women. Love Lies Bleeding may be remembered more for the gore than the love story. That's not to say it doesn't work; the characters are compelling, thanks to a knockout performance from Katy O'Brian. Kristen Stewart delivers a pretty good performance as well, but it doesn't match up to Katy O'Brian's. That's probably because O'Brian is built like a tank.
In contrast, Kirsten Stewart has an average petite build that makes it difficult for me to imagine her being a weightlifting gym owner. When Stewart has to deliver the emotional goods, she does so. She's become quite a remarkable actress. You could look no further than her performance as Princess Diana in Spencer as an example. This performance isn't anywhere near that level but doesn't have to be, as that's not what her role demands. Stewart is asked to be stern, introverted, and tough. For that, she does the job well.
As incredible as she is, I have noticed Stewart plays everything on a singular note. As Princess Diana, her voice has a whispery dialog actors deliver. It's something Keanu Reeves does a lot if you catch my drift. It's nothing that ruins a performance by any stretch of the imagination, but it is noticeable. Why do some actors talk so quietly?
The overall work done in front and behind the camera is impressive. The performances are great all around. The cinematography has a deep color tone in its greens and blues to pull you into the film's gritty feeling. The movie wants you to know that women can be tough, just like men. That point is made throughout the narrative. Of course, they can be tough. The film takes place in a female-led gym. We also get trippy scenes of Jackie (Katy O'Brian) injecting steroids turning her body into an incredible hulk. A metaphor that really poops the bed toward the end of the film.
The thriller aspect of the film is where it really shines. Certain scenes will have you gasping, and others will have you laughing. Despite the grim material, the film has a good bit of humor. The narrative converges on the plot of two characters. Lou and Jackie. Both are women who don't take trash from other people. It's abundantly clear what type of person Lou is when she's listening to tapes about the dangers of tobacco while she's ironically smoking. It's her way of saying, "I don't care, I'll do what I please."
Lou's rebellious attitude can be traced to her neglectful father, Lou Sr., played by Ed Harris, who's wearing a ridiculous wig. Thank God Harris is naturally chilling enough to act through his goofy hairdo. One day, Lou runs into Jackie, a homeless drifter who wants to compete for the women's bodybuilding championship in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, the girls aren't in Vegas forcing them to take a road trip. For money, Jackie finds work at a gun range run by Lou's criminal empire father.
Without spoiling the plot, the girls get involved in multiple murder cases that elevate the material from an interesting indie film to a tense thriller. The film plays both genres fairly well. It's a romance and a crime film converged into a dynamic narrative. The film takes its time establising its love story between Jackie and Lou. It doesn't rush into the plot, letting the second act naturally shock the audience. The film has a lot of payoffs, but its ending is weak.
As mentioned before, the film has psychedelic sequences of Jackie's steroid use ballooning her muscles considerably. In the most crucial scene of the film, this sequence interferes with reality, making us question what just happened. It's played off where the viewer is meant to imagine that what they saw wasn't real. But WTF actually happened? If you want to blend one's mental fantasy with reality, I'm all for it. But it should be done properly. Not for the sake of an overused metaphor that chokes the life out of the most vital act of the film.
Aside from a disappointing ending, Love Lies Bleeding has enough potency in its character's chemistry to keep it as an enjoyable view. Its thrills are loaded with blood that's spared no expense. Make no mistake, this is a hard R film that is a joy to see.
