SummaryJohanna Parry (Kristen Wiig), a quiet caregiver, starts a new job working for an elderly Mr. McCauley (Nick Nolte) and his teenage granddaughter Sabitha (Hailee Steinfeld). A cruel trick by Sabitha lands Johanna in an awkward one-way relationship with Ken (Guy Pearce), Sabitha's estranged father but her newfound ambition and desire gives...
SummaryJohanna Parry (Kristen Wiig), a quiet caregiver, starts a new job working for an elderly Mr. McCauley (Nick Nolte) and his teenage granddaughter Sabitha (Hailee Steinfeld). A cruel trick by Sabitha lands Johanna in an awkward one-way relationship with Ken (Guy Pearce), Sabitha's estranged father but her newfound ambition and desire gives...
Watching Kristen Wiig's lived-in and alive performance as this blunt, practical, and yet totally innocent woman is to be in the presence of something very very special.
Hateship Loveship sneaks up on the viewer, not only in the way the story takes its unlikely turns, but in Wiig’s own portrayal of a woman discovering desire and, in the most subtle way possible, acting on it.
One of the most underrated and understated films in recent memory, this adaptation of Munro's story does justice to her nuanced approach to character study and adult psychology.
Given the absolute crap that's in our theaters these days I found this movie to be refreshing. I can't tell you how many movies I've walked out of lately. This one's not about the story so much as it is about the characters. Wiig did a fine job of portraying an emotionally stunted young woman who is desperate for love and a sense of meaning. In the end I was disappointed that her character settled for so little, but isn't that the lot of most Americans? Maybe that's why so few were willing to see it? A little too close to home!!
Ms. Johnson and the screenwriter, Mark Jude Poirier, have transformed a taciturn masterpiece into an absorbing, messy, modest story of damaged relationships.
Hateship Loveship is in no way a comedy, but Wiig's enormous presence threatens to make it so. She can't disappear into the void, so the drama onscreen becomes hard to take seriously.
It ultimately offers little more than another opportunity for famous actors to indulge their fetishistic, inadvertently condescending impressions of "everyday" people.
This movie was based on the short story 'Hateship, Friensdhip, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage' which won the Noble prize in literature a decade ago. A pure drama about a middle aged single woman whose life was dedicated to her profession. Just like similar to the 'Finding Vivian Maier', except there was no photographies involved. Frankly, I was not predicted that this film would impress me a lot. Picked it to watch without an interest, but while a watch surprised and glued to my seat to the rest of the film.
Even though there were fine actors in the movie like Guy Pearce and latest sensation Hailee Steinfield, it was a Kristen Wiig show. Apart from voice-over for the animations and other supporting roles, she was not seen in a top form recently. Her commitment to the character she played as Johanna Perry the live-in caretaker in the movie was inevitable to appreciate. Feels very real who fall for a teenagers prank that actually influence her life to turn it around. So how and what are the things to be done against the odds are displayed well.
''The only thing worse than friendship is hateship.''
Kind of 'second chance' theme, if you get one you must seize it. Though, it was not that simple in the movie, but developed at a fair dosage of obstacles between 'the desperate' and 'the hope' to form balanced account. Don't consider it an inspirational, it was just pieces of common event that's happening everywhere, but creatively put into the texts and then cinematic. Commercializable title that did not suit for a realistic narration. Especially not in todays world, might have been a perfect title 20-25 years ago. Once you watch it the perspective will change that still movie like this are made for the silver screen, not direct-to-television, but what? Sadly commercially fails.
If you observe closely the end scene, it was very practical to the real life. Whether we accept our fate as it happened or we created it, the flaws always remain, especially in a relationship. That's what the entire movie unfolds, how people cope with each other despite what they were before. A very well told simple story. Of course it was a slow narration, not because of the stretched from a short story, but to give the depth in the portrayal. This movie is for ardent drama fans like me, for a change others as well should try this little sweet movie.
8/10
a relationship confused to the core..
Hateship Loveship
There are few moments installed in here so perfectly that it becomes almost impossible to not be moved by it. Addition to that, the chemistry among the characters is what withholds the audience to it as it controls the energy of the cinema. The adapted screenplay by Mike Poirier is the real culprit in here as it is loosely placed in different interval or period of time that the audience sweats through the whole process on adjusting the timeline or tone of it. The script is gripping but not as smart as the writer thinks and neither is edited accordingly; it lacks better supervision. Liza Johnson; the director, is the key that unlocks this mystery with her brilliant execution skills that is not only supported but celebrated by an amazing cinematography; it is visually rich. Kirsten Wiig is a revelation in here as she pours out emotions like a rain on screen and is soothing and impactful throughout the course of it where she is supported decently by Guy Pearce and Jennifer Jason Leigh who although doesn't get that much screen time. Hateship Loveship is a relationship confused to the core whose structure is so eerie and convoluted that the audience fails to accept or adjust with it.
Despite its curious exploration into naïvety and reclusiveness, Hateship Loveship often borderlines on awkwardness - preventing strong performances from Kristen Wiig and Hailee Steinfeld from truly shining.