[Movie Review] - Frances Ferguson

I don't know how much point there is to posting about this movie, because I'm not aware that you can see it anywhere other than a few showings at film festivals. But it's a thing I saw, so I decided to talk about it. I came into this movie with zero prior knowledge, taking a chance on seeing it because it was convenient for my schedule and location.

The film is told from the perspective of a substitute teacher who sleeps with one of her students. Her motivation for this isn't explicitly spelled out in the movie, but best I can figure, it's just out of a desire for something different and interesting to happen. The consequences for this action are predictable, and the film spends the majority of its time following her through the process of trial, incarceration, release, and attempted re-acclimation into society.

One thing that is noticeably absent from the narrative is any condemnation of the act. Nor was there any celebration of it. It was simply something that happened. I thought this was an interesting choice, but makes the film a little hard to watch. There was a bit of a happy ending for Frances, but there was never really a moment of, "Oh, perhaps I shouldn't have done that."

For all the awfulness of the subject matter, there was some humor to be found. Specifically the group therapy scenes were a highlight, and David Krumholtz (from Numb3rs and The Santa Clause), who plays the straight man group therapy leader, steals these scenes. Kaley Wheless in the titular role also does a good job, but her deadpan reactions are necessarily subdued. At times it seems like she's trying very hard to not react. Her portrayal is a credit to the character, but doesn't make the character terribly likable.

Although I'm not sure that's the point. This is not a movie for everyone. But if you like dry wit, watching unlikable people do terrible things, and finding the humor in cringey subjects, it may be for you. It's currently making the film festival circuit, and looking for wider distribution.