Edgar Wright made my favorite film of 2017, BABY DRIVER. His obsession with the musical genre takes on a brand new meaning in the twisted LAST NIGHT IN SOHO. I applaud him for continuing to extend his reach as a filmmaker. He went from a genre action picture to a unique 1960s inspired feminist thrill ride.
While the record plays perfectly in the first half of LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, the second half, aka the “b-side,” doesn’t quite work as well. Unfortunately, the story ran out of steam just as I started to rock out to Sandie (Anna Taylor-Joy) dance (and sing!) in her 1960s attire. The main character, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), should’ve trimmed the material with her seamstress scissors.
With that complaint out of the way, watching Thomasin McKenzie and Anna Taylor-Joy is like seeing two different versions of Audry Hepburn reincarnated on the big screen. And I’m able to forgive this risky film for its blunders due to the emotional heart (something lacking in the latest box office hit – DUNE).
LAST NIGHT IN SOHO is layered on a multitude of levels. Just when audiences think they are in for one movie, the onion gets peeled only to discover they’re in a different experience. I LOVE the concept of glamorizing the 1960s. How many times has one watched BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS and not put Audry Hepburn on a pedestal? But if you look beneath the surface – were the 1960s that good for women? Masculinity was dominant, aka the MAD MEN era. As we watch Eloise witness this through Sandie’s eyes, we feel for her plight. And at the end of the film, Edgar Wright has made a compelling companion piece to PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN mixed with a hint of WHAT LIES BENEATH.
With Edgar Wright behind the camera, I would gladly go “downtown” with him any day of the week. Although LAST NIGHT IN SOHO isn’t an overwhelming success, the cautionary tale about romanticizing the past has just enough to keep it compelling for the future.
It’s available in theatres.
