As I have begun to see with the films chosen for this year’s TIFF, lots of films tackled pretty heady subject matter and aims to use narrative tools to paint a picture of an issue. Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut Woman of the Hour certainly works as another reminder of how violence against women is not simply the act of violence, but also the systems that don’t hold their words worthy or other men who don’t make it safe either. In these moments, Kendrick is able to ramp up the tension of the narrative while also allowing a wonderful ensemble of actors (Nicolette Robinson, Autumn Best, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelley Jakle) to bring to life these women who encountered Rodney.
The challenge for this movie as a narrative story is that the way these women’s stories are edited together make the film disjointed in a way that does stop much of the momentum and energy of the movie and also more heavily weighs the story towards Sheryl and her story versus that of the woman who manages to get away. Woman of the Hour as a title can be applied to both women but the movie makes sure we realize it’s Anna Kendrick’s profile that likely got the movie made and as such she’ll have the lion’s share of the screen time. There’s also the decision to show his crimes and the violence he visited on these women that doesn’t lean into exploitation but also might have been too much for what the story needed us to know.
Rodney’s villainy is portrayed in all its awfulness and deception by Daniel Zovatto. It’s a great performance and Kendrick uses his frame and to great aplomb. Even if you didn’t know all the horrors this man had wrought or seen them on screen, you’d feel his sinister nature through Zovatto’s performance.
The period trappings are well used by Kendrick as The Dating Game portion allows her to resurrect the show in all its glory and messiness. The production design and cinematography work in concert to show that even in bright 70s Los Angeles, there’s always something awful potentially lurking around the corner. Woman of the Hour might prove a mixed bag for some, but what is here is a stark reminder of how society continually fails women.