Misty Green might not be a stone-cold classic, but writer-director Chris Rock brings insight to this Hollywood tale of wasted potential. Enlisting Adam Driver, Daniel Kaluuya, and Rosalind Eleazar from Slow Horses to tell his story. From the off, Eleazar creates a formidable character from thin air, and forges her performance from the ashes of this jobbing actress.
That she comes out swinging says much about the commitment Eleazar puts into her portrayal of Misty Green. Going toe-to-toe with Chris Rock, Adam Driver, and Daniel Kaluuya without breaking sweat, she represents the glue that holds everything together. Highly strung, compassion to a fault but not without flaws, Misty is an amalgam of Hollywood horror stories, where actors are incapable of getting out their own way.
Blindsiding audiences in the opening minutes, Chris Rock ensures this feature maintains momentum without sacrificing character arcs. Adam Driver and Daniel Kaluuya might be relegated to minor supporting roles, but their contributions on screen prove invaluable. They provide texture to a film that might have fallen flat without the variety they bring to the table, both in terms of unpredictability and moral grey area.
Image Courtesy of A24
As a volatile family member Kaluuya takes a lot of the heavy lifting away from Rosalind Eleazar playing her brother Jay. He possesses a loose cannon quality that gives Misty Green an edge, drawing the drama away from her singular dilemma. Rock also gives his character a rough and ready dynamic, stripping away the sheen and making Jay feel more vulnerable.
Rock addresses the haphazard landscape of film and television production, highlighting the inherent favouritism that goes hand in hand with a more deep-rooted hypocrisy. For that reason, Misty Green comes with an agenda which embraces an activistic attitude towards the hand that feeds. Not only failing to sugar-coat the intent but bringing with it a boatload of attitude.
Baked into the fabric of Misty Green is a cynicism which can only come from first-hand experience. It feels like an attack on institutionalised systems that encourage ageism, challenge gender identity, and expose the fallacy of fame and those who pursue it. However, Rock is wise enough to leave space for personal moments packed with pathos that open audiences up to the humanity beneath.
The sense of disconnection and superficiality that bleeds between the pores of this picture are offset by moments of personal connection. Moments where the desire to project success gives way to heart wrenching honesty as Misty Green embraces self-sabotage. As a feature this film might not get to the heart of Hollywood hypocrisy, but Chris Rock injects elements of his story with an emotional honesty, that broadens the conversation around those who find their calling in being anyone other than themselves.
Misty Green is out in now in UK cinemas.