The film’s luckiest girl is the one who gets to watch it from the sidelines, and who has no say in how it turns out.
The story is set in the small town of West Egg, New York, and revolves around the luckiest girl in town, who is always getting good things happen. But when she reveals her true identity to her friends and family, they all start to question her luck. Is she really lucky? Or is something else going on?
Netflix has a library of its own that is diverse and voluminous. It is also high quality, although there are some inconsistencies. But with the increasing acceptance of these stories by viewers, the films are starting to reflect more accurately what is going on in their communities and cultures.
Luckiest Girl Alive is set in a small town in Maine, and the story revolves around Ani, a girl who is trying to figure out her life. She has always been an outsider, and she doesn’t know how to fit in. She is always looking for something to make her feel better, and she finds it in the people around her. Even though she doesn’t have much money, she makes enough to live comfortably. Ani also has some great friends, and she is always willing to help them out.
The narrative certainly seems to be headed in another direction. But when the flashbacks start and Dean’s name is mentioned in the film, it pivots and becomes a movie squarely about how Ani hasn’t been able to move on and that her offenders have gone unpunished. Well, two of them are dead and the third is in a wheelchair, but her beef is with people dismissing her claims and believing someone above her in social status and with better connections. ..
The tonal shift in the film feels jarring and probably unfair as a viewer considering how the film actually finishes. But in hindsight, it is indeed a bold decision. ..
If you go into this film knowing that something like this will happen, then the above might be true. After that point, Ani definitely loses control and grip over the narration. Her past takes over and the peek into it is quite raw. The way director Mike Barker uses flashbacks and the past is very admirable.
The film successfully makes you uncomfortable and compassionate about Ani’s life. We see the imperfect girl behind this successful boss figure. That is indeed a nice touch. Ani losing control wouldn’t have been the worst thing if the film managed to keep up the intrigue. The third act completely spoils the experience of watching it.
The ending of Dean and Ani’s story feels incomplete and misplaced. Although we are shown how Ani has struggled with the smear in her life in small patches, we aren’t shown the background. The lack of development in that part of the story, which is quite crucial to draw the viewer in, is missing. This perhaps leads to a softer emotional chord between us and her. But Kunis herself does a remarkable job of shoring that up.
Mila Kunis is a powerful actress who has the ability to hold your attention. Her interpretation of Ani was spot on, and helped give me a better perspective on her as a person. Seeing “Luckiest Girl Alive” as a coming-of-age drama made me feel more comfortable with her. Kunis pretends to be someone who is all right on the surface, but she is being eaten up inside.
The author does a great job of exploring the themes of vulnerability and trust in this novel. However, some of the other themes, like gun violence and school shootings, feel a little too familiar.
The film is a mixed bag. While the first part of the film is well-made and makes you want to watch more, the story kind of falls flat and crumbles on the expectations of the first half in the second. Its accuracy and courage in depicting the many facets of rape trauma and more importantly, the overwhelming desire to bury it because this crime committed against you has ultimately turned you into a crime yourself are commendable. ..
The film is well-made but could have been made more effectively if it had focused on Kunis’s strong performance and less on the weak plot.
The best way to describe the luckiest girl alive is that she has everything going for her. She has a great job, a loving family, and a happy life. However, despite all of her good fortune, she still experiences some challenges every day. For example, she may have to deal with some difficult relationships or may have to face some challenges at work. However, despite these challenges, the luckiest girl alive always manages to find a way to overcome them.
