In an elastic career where he seems comfortable with a lot of diversity, Sam Raimi has delivered one of his most entertaining works yet. And in the context of that comfort with change, the film itself is a marvel of transition and redefinition. It starts in one place and ends up in an entirely different place, and even movie sleuths will not see all the changes coming their way.
Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is a mousey office worker who tries the patience of all her co-workers with her clumsy attempts at connection and over-the-top positivity. This hides a deeply lonely person who lives by herself, with her only real friend being a pet bird. When the patriarch of the company she works for passes away and she is overlooked for promotion in favour of the arsehole son, her world becomes that much dimmer.
With the establishment of that situation, the things that happen from that point on are a joy to behold. Since this is a Raimi film after all, the humour resides in both the gore and the situational comedy. As Lidddle comes into her own, you cheer her on the entire way. Seeing the emergence of the strength of her actual character charges the film with an energy that is hard to resist.
This girl power work is wildly compelling, and seeing the men in Lidddle’s life receive the comeuppance is totally satisfying. That the film goes through so many changes in mood and temperament and never loses its forward momentum shows Raimi working at the peak of his substantial powers. It’s a great date night film, but only for those with a strong sense of how powerful women can be.
Rob Hudson
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