“Black Bear” is a difficult film to pin down. The film has multiple storylines, all involving the same three characters. Allison (Aubrey Plaza) is an actress and filmmaker. In one storyline, Allison is heading to the isolated home of Blair (Sarah Gadon) and Gabe (Charlie Abbott). The trio fall into a spiralling and calculated series of events.
In the second storyline, we see the same story play out but as the plot of a new film. The lines between the two storylines blur as the latter storyline continues. Allison remains a constant: a messy, creative soul who is looking to make art for someone to finally understand her. As the main actress in the second plotline, we see her fragility as her insecurities and vulnerabilities are manipulated and abused by director Gabe.
It is not the first time we see Gabe abuse Allison. In the first plotline, he seems to latch onto her weaknesses or broken parts and uses them to his advantage, highlighting his own insecurities. Blair is a difficult character to crack. In the first storyline, Blair is Gabe’s pregnant partner, whose own ideas are belittled by a deeply insecure man. In the second storyline, Blair seems to be a little more open to being a pawn in Gabe’s scheme to drive Allison to the breaking point, while also being fine at being manipulated as well.
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Gadon and Abbott give top-notch performances. Their characters have the same cores and drives, but they shift between the two storylines. Meanwhile, Plaza gives a tour-de-force performance. One that proves, much like her work in “The Little Hours,” that she is an onscreen force to be reckoned with. Allison is our constant character. Her two iterations are two sides of the same coin. Our first introduction to Allison is a pained, misunderstood creator, looking for respite from the judgment of others to collect herself before diving back into scrutiny. She is the façade many – especially women – have which show the cracks that make them quirky, but not enough of the inner demons to raise immediate alarms.
On the other hand, the Allison we see in the second storyline is all id, reacting from the primal parts of herself. She is reactive, slightly impulsive, and shows when she’s wounded. The first depiction of Allison seemed commonplace – at the surface – but something about this version of Allison seemed heartbreaking. Plaza went all-in for Allison, from her charm to her guttural expression of pain.
“Black Bear” isn’t an easy film to unpack. As I sit here and ruminate about the film, I see how the lines between story and inspiration are blurred for creatives. How much an actor gives of themselves for their craft. While “Black Bear” may not resonate with mainstream audiences, it still is a film to check out. It’s hard to chew, but Plaza will keep you glued from the moment she’s on screen.
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