Review of Miranda July's "Kajillionaire": A Profoundly Unique Work

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For her third feature film, American filmmaker Miranda July is back with Kajillionaire. Starring Evan Rachel Wood, Gina Rodriguez, Richard Jenkins and Debra Winger, the film tells the story of how Theresa and Robert spent the last 26 years of their lives training their only daughter Old Dolio to swindle, scam and steal on a daily basis. While they live on the margins of society, the appearance of Mélanie, a young stranger, will upset their daily lives.

Kajillionaire: an exciting bittersweet film

If there is one film to see in these times of cinematic diet, it is Kajillionaire. A sensitive and relaxing bittersweet film, which reveals the daily life of a socially maladjusted woman. If Kajillionaire marks the return of Evan Rachel Wood on the front of the stage, otherwise incredible in this role, it is also an opportunity to discover a unique feature film, a personal and spontaneous work that comes out of the usual shackles of all coming from Hollywood. Kajillionaire is a slow, spontaneous film that narrates the daily life of this marginal family, who decides to live free, far from the societal obligations incumbent on modern society. With Kajillionaire, Miranda July offers a new look at the American dream. Far from the success of yesteryear, today, the American dream looks like this. If you have nothing, you can find money everywhere, but at what cost? Kajillionaire offers a rereading of this American dream. A fantasy where money no longer flows, where small scams quickly become limited, where it is more difficult than expected to live free, and without chain of the capitalist system. Review of Miranda July's "Kajillionaire": A Profoundly Unique Work Kajillionaire mixes genres: comedy, social film, drama, it is sometimes similar to Parasite, while taking its own guideline. Where can individuals live on the hook of an imperfect society? Mirande July criticizes the modern capitalist system. She points to the impossibility for the individual to get out of the crowd. To get out of an established societal cycle, to get out of morals, simply to get out of the yoke of modern society.

A unique saving tone

But Miranda July decides to impose a unique tone on Kajillionaire. The film could have been a simple comedy, or a terrible drama. But the filmmaker imposes her own paw, somewhere in between. A strange, whimsical, rather absurd atmosphere, where the tone decides the style and rhythm. A haunting, endearing, almost reassuring film, where life moves forward quietly, where time is often at a standstill. Kajilionnaire is also the story of a girl who becomes a woman. The story of this 26-year-old woman who frees herself from family hegemony, who decides to deviate from the path pre-established by her parents. The independence of an unsuitable individual, because of a particular education, full of solitude, who will spread his wings, and move towards other horizons. The emancipation of a female figure who is looking for herself, and who, after 26 years of complexes, imposes herself as a free person, who makes her own choices. Ewan Rachel Wood and Gina Rodriguez in kajilionnaire Through this prism, Miranda July draws a parallel with modern society. It makes a connection with the standardization of thought, the way in which everyone follows the traces left by his ancestors, without really changing course. Kajillionaire is also an aesthetically controlled work. Miranda July offers superb photography, punctuated by a deliberately dull calibration, in line with the spirit of the protagonist. It also offers some superb visual flights like these shots on the foam, aesthetically superb. Finally, the slow and calm staging also owes a lot to Gabe Hilfer's soundtrack, which supports this feeling of weightlessness, uniqueness, and slow rhythm. Kajillionaire is a delicious little confectionery. A very successful bittersweet social and human adventure, which will manage to touch the spectators receptive to an art of the moment, calm, and shift. A sensitive work that is worth seeing. https://youtu.be/uVCVNRaHrSE