LAST NIGHT IN SOHO |
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LAST NIGHT IN SOHO 2021 Certificate 18 Running time: 116 minutes approx 
Eloise - Thomasin McKenzie Sandie - Anna Taylor-Joy Jack - Matt Smith John - Michael Ajao Miss Collins - Diana Rigg Lindsey - Terence Stamp Peggy - Rita Tushingham Directed by - Edgar Wright Written by - Krysty Wilson-Cairns & Edgar Wright 
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Eloise is an emotionally vulnerable young woman who occasionally sees her dead mother. She is accepted by a London university to study fashion, but she is not accepted by her more worldly classmates and so moves out into digs in Soho. There, she starts to see flashbacks, dreams or hallucinations about another young woman who also came to London to make her fortune. Initially, these visions provide Eloise with confidence and inspiration, but then things start to turn dark and the silver-haired man who she sees on the streets all the time takes on a sinister aspect. Edgar Wright has come a long way since he started out by parodying the stylings of big-budget Hollywood movies in films like SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ. Elevated to actual Hollywood status, he seemed to fumble the ball by allowing the style to swamp the story in SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD to box office limiting effect (though don't let that stop you from watching what is a visually sumptuous and highly entertaining film). Then he announced his arrival as a director of note with BABY DRIVER, which admittedly riffs on the likes of heist classics THE DRIVER AND HEAT (to mention only two), but injects style and freshness into the increasingly stale conventions of the heist movie/ car chase genres. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO proves that BABY DRIVER LAST NIGHT IN SOHO doesn't so much ooze style from every frame as flaunt it. From the dreamlike opening of Eloise dancing through her house in a self-designed paper dress to the neon-drenched, reflective surface-heavy 60s flashbacks/visions/dreams/whatever, to the edgy, darker final sequences, Wright is having a whale of a time with the visuals, but this time around they don't overshadow the story, they underline it. The contrast between the high-colour 60s and the more natural palette of the modern day segments tells us where we are in each world, but also keeps us guessing as to whether any of this is real or if it's entirely in Eloise's cracking psyche. The background detailing is impeccable and anyone who has an interest in fashion, real or in movies, is going to have a ball with the outfits on display, especially in the 60s segments. Visually, Wright puts everything up there on the screen and it is never anything less than fabulous to look at.. But the film has a plot, and it's a strong one. True, Eloise's troubled potential psychic might be stolen from THE HAUNTING and the 'rural girl comes to find fame in the big city' storylines might be hackneyed, but they are combined through the lens of the dream connection in a fresh and exciting manner. There are times you know exactly where this film is taking you only to be wrongfooted by your own expectations. We're led up the garden path a couple of times to find we're not going to the signposted destination, but this doesn't smack of plot twists for the sake of plot twists, but rather just a story having a good time taking unexpected turns. None of these twists seem overly manufactured or unnecessary, just the misdirection of a movie magician peddling his trade. By the end, the audience is left satisfied with the rug-pulling denouement. And to tell the strong story is a strong cast. Thomasin McKenzie, who was so good in M Night Shyamlan's OLD, affects a flawless English accent to play Eloise, the simple country girl with a fragile sense of herself as a result of her mental issues, who finds torment from her classmates, escape in her dreams and terror in what they lead to. She handles the tonal shifts with ease and is completely believable and compelling in the role. She is the rock that anchors the film and gives it heart. Anna Taylor-Joy, on the other hand, is ripped straight from the zeitgeist after her successes in TV s PEAKY BLINDERS and Netflix's THE QUEEN'S GAMBIT. Her delicate, ethereal beauty combines with the makeup and costuming triumphs to stunning effect, creating a vision who is lovely, exciting, fragile and full of energy. She is the very essence of the 60s 'it' girl, which makes her story all the stronger. Again, she is able to handle the film's shifts in tone with aplomb and creates a remarkable counterpoint to Eloise, highlighting the similarities and differences subtly and skillfully. Matt Smith rounds out the star parts, shedding his DOCTOR WHO persona to embody the role of charming chancer with a darker side lurking beneath the surface. The role is secondary to the two women, but pivotal all the same, and he carries it off with ease. Director Wright also shows his savvy in packing the modern day sequences with some real 60s movie heavyweights. Icons such as Diana Rigg, as Eloise's landlady, Terence Stamp as the shifty older man who used to be a bit of a player in his day and Rita Tushingham as Eloise's grandmother have roles too small for their stature, but bring a real sense of nostalgia for those who know who they are and acting class for those in the audience too young to remember. The cast is then rounded out by actors who fit their smaller roles to a tee. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO is that very rare thing - an original story that comes out of nowhere and knocks the audience's socks off. Whilst pretending to be predictable, it sets up its twists and shocks, but never forgets that the true success of any film lies in its characters and their ability to beguile and enchant the audience. This film succeeds on just about every level and is all the more delightful because we didn't see it coming. After BABY DRIVER and this, we can't wait to see what Edgar Wright has in store for us next. Top
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