The Trouble With Jessica, 2023.
Directed by Matt Winn.
Starring Shirley Henderson, Rufus Sewell, Olivia Williams, Alan Tudyk, Indira Varma.
SYNOPSIS:
Sarah and Tom are in deep financial trouble. Their situation takes a terrifying nosedive with the shocking behavior of uninvited dinner guest, Jessica.
The peculiarities of the British middle classes are laid bare in this witty and acerbic dark comedy thriller. Focusing on anxieties fuelled by fluctuating property prices, career uncertainties, and qualms about deceitful behaviour, it is a moody piece that is in places very funny. The script, by director Matt Winn with James Handel follows a theatrical style, and the dialogue flows rapidly with the main players delivering on writing that is amusingly intense.
The story is one of unravelling lives, lies, and complexities. We begin with Sarah (Shirley Henderson) and Tom (Alan Tudyk), a married couple on the brink of financial disaster. They have managed to find a buyer for their modern stylish London home. To partly celebrate and search for closure on their recent troubles, they invite old friends Richard (Rufus Sewell) and Beth (Olivia Williams) over for dinner. The happy meal is about to be undone, however, by the surprise arrival of another old friend, the eponymous Jessica (Indira Varma).
Jessica goes on to act unpredictably and strangely, wading deep into the free-flowing wine. After a seemingly trivial and insignificant argument, she proceeds to hang herself in the garden.
Tom is about to call the police when Sarah instructs him that if the buyer finds out that there has been a recent suicide at the property the deal might fall through. This would mean complete financial ruin for their family. The couple constructs a plan to try and convince their friends to help them transport Jessica’s body to her flat and make it look as though she killed herself there. What could possibly go wrong?
Well quite a lot, as it happens.
The farcical situation of trying to cover up what actually happened is given extra complexity as secrets come out as the players get more and more stressed out by the grim situation. Tempers fray, things are on edge, and all the while they are dealing with an old friend’s suicide.
Surprisingly, such a difficult subject as suicide is dealt with well in the film. The cringe-worthy laughs come from poking fun at the pomposity of the upper-middle classes and a certain blindness to the things that really matter. For example, being able to be honest with each other and yourself.
The performances of the cast are all well-played, and there is a strong influence of profound satires of the past. Winn credits the French satirist Claude Chabrol (Le Boucher, La Rupture) as being a strong influence on the picture, with a similarly morbid undertone to a work that unpicks the foibles of the bourgeoisie with surgical precision.
There is also a great baroque score provided by the multi-talented Winn – founder of 1990s electronica/lounge act D*Note – along with jazz pianist Matt Cooper.
Overall, the film is a tense and enjoyable ride. Part Hitchcockian thriller, part cringe comedy, The Trouble with Jessica is set to get some tongues wagging.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★/ Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert W Monk is a freelance journalist and film writer.
