We hear her voice before we see her. As the camera pans across the cold streets of New York City Reese Holdin’s (Zooey Deschanel) voice interrupts the urban blare with a fragile description of “her” apartment. Except, it’s not her apartment. Reese Holdin is an actress. She’s auditioning for a part. We’re fooled for a split second. And yet, when the truth is revealed, something of the illusion remains. Reese, like the part that she hopes to land, is damaged.
Zooey Deschanel gives yet another understated performance that captivates from the get-go. The slow, muted story suits her pokerfaced style. Surpringly, Will Ferrell turns up as the off-centre Corbit. Here, Ferrell isn’t flashing his over-the-top comic wares but instead, gives a gentle performance like that in Stranger than Fiction. It’s also nice to see the underexposed Amelia Warner, who seems to have been on the cusp of stardom for years now.
Though nothing much in the way of action happens, glimpses into Reese’s existence reveal more and more of her character. Right from the start we’re asking the questions: “What happened to Reese. Why is she the way she is?” Adam Rapp’s script deliberately lets the question hang in the air. There is a climax to it all towards the end, but the resolution feels more mutual than explosive. And that feels right - fitting with the deliberately slow pace of the rest of the film.
