After spending many years in entrance of the digital camera, Scarlett Johansson is stepping again. The actor has made her directorial debut with Eleanor the Great, a heartfelt dramedy about a captivating character that not too long ago screened on the Toronto International Film Festival. It is a sturdy, standard undertaking, however it nonetheless strikes a chord.
The titular Eleanor is played by June Squibb, who continues to show she has deserved to be a number one girl for years now. Eleanor lives along with her finest pal Bessie (Rita Zohar), and the 2 are so shut that they even share a bed room, going via each little bit of their days collectively.
That is why, when Bessie unexpectedly passes away, Eleanor is unmoored. Even with only a few quick scenes between them, we nonetheless really feel the depth of their friendship and the complete extent of Eleanor’s loss. It makes her subsequent actions a tiny bit extra comprehensible.
Eleanor strikes to New York to be along with her daughter (Jessica Hecht), who loves her mom however would fairly she stay in a retirement group. Lonely and on the lookout for a spot to belong, Eleanor finds herself invited to a help group, and solely realizes too late that it is for Holocaust survivors. She’s Jewish, however was additionally born and raised within the Midwest.
June Squibb Elevates Each Half Of Eleanor The Nice
Johansson has picked a thorny premise for her debut, with a script penned by Tory Kamen. It’s most likely to the movie’s benefit that Squibb is the particular person posing this horrible lie, since her pure charisma makes Eleanor extremely endearing. We will see that she, like so many people, is simply on the lookout for a brand new connection, and that she will be able to additionally use this as a solution to hold Bessie’s reminiscence alive, since she was a survivor.
In fact, even when being beneficiant about her intentions, it’s nonetheless a horrible lie, and Eleanor’s hand in it solely will get worse when she strikes up a friendship with Nina (Erin Kellyman), a journalism pupil writing an article about Holocaust survivors. Impressed by Eleanor’s (which is admittedly Bessie’s) story, Nina additional confides in her and even brings her to the eye of her newscaster father (Chiwetel Ejiofor).
Eleanor the Nice has a lightness that offers it the impression of being an easy comedy, however there’s an undercurrent of melancholy. Grief is one thing nearly all of the characters expertise, together with Nina and her dad. It provides a somber be aware to the movie, but in addition an uplifting one. The guts of this story is finally about connection within the face of making an attempt instances.
The inherent optimism within the story is considerably challenged by the severity of the subject material. Johansson neatly levels it so Bessie’s story is at all times conveyed by her, slicing again to the evening when she shared all of her experiences with Eleanor. Although the tail finish of every monologue comes from Eleanor, that is nonetheless Bessie’s story informed in her personal voice.
Her anecdotes are, naturally, very darkish, they usually do mark a robust tonal shift that’s a bit jarring. Nevertheless, it additionally offers Zohar a superb showcase as she tearfully recounts what occurred to her and her household. Kamen’s script contains a number of hanging strains that hit me laborious, together with one the place Bessie realizes she’s the one particular person alive who knew her brother.
Eleanor the Nice is a well-constructed film and a strong directing debut for Johansson. It hits all of the beats it must and tells an impactful story that can little doubt resonate with many individuals; I heard loads of sniffling at my screening. It’s the form of film you’ve seen a thousand instances earlier than, and also will fortunately watch a thousand instances extra.
The most important promoting level is Squibb. With a mischievous twinkle in her eye, she shoots off wisecracks and loads of grandmotherly affection, and also you nearly want you possibly can be mates with Eleanor too. The ending of the movie is fairly type to her, all issues thought of, however contemplating how well-developed she is, you’re completely satisfied to forgive her too.
Eleanor the Nice screened on the Toronto Worldwide Movie Competition and can launch in theaters on September 26.
Eleanor the Great
6/10
- Launch Date
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September 26, 2025
- Runtime
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98 minutes
- Writers
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Tory Kamen
- Producers
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Celine Rattray, Charlotte Dauphin, Jessamine Burgum, Jonathan Lia, Kara Durrett, Keenan Flynn, Scarlett Johansson, Trudie Styler
- Scarlett Johansson’s directing debut is a strong, well-constructed undertaking.
- June Squibb solidifies her main girl standing with a beautiful efficiency.
- The underlying message about grief and connection could be very impactful.
- The darker tonal shifts could be laborious to regulate to.
- There is not a lot to make the story actually stand out from others we have seen earlier than.
