By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
"MOUSE" IS A TOUCHING COMING-OF-AGE DRAMA
Director/writer Kelly O'Sullivan ("Sleep with Me") and Alex Thompson ("Ghostlight") have crafted a bittersweet coming-of-age drama with their latest film, "Mouse."
It's an understated story about love, life, loss, and the sometimes-complicated business of growing up.
Rather than relying on big dramatic moments, "Mouse" takes a more intimate approach, allowing its characters and their relationships to unfold naturally. The result is a tender, occasionally uncomfortable, and emotionally engaging look at the unexpected ways people can enter our lives and change our perspectives.
The story centers on Minnie Dunn (Katherine Mallen Kupferer, "Ghostlight") and her best friend Callie Bell (Chloe Coleman, TV's "Upload"), whose close relationship is suddenly upended just as they are approaching their senior year of high school. With their friendship no longer what it once was, Minnie finds herself navigating an unfamiliar emotional landscape.
Things become even more complicated when she develops an unexpected friendship with Callie's mother, Helen Bell (a riveting Sophie Okonedo, "Clarissa"). What begins as an unlikely connection gradually becomes something meaningful, as the two find themselves sharing thoughts, experiences, and a bond that neither could have anticipated. It's an interesting relationship, particularly as Minnie tries to figure out where she belongs and what she really wants from life.
Okonedo brings warmth, sensitivity, and complexity to the role as a woman who is dealing with her own challenges as she takes on Minnie's.
Kupferer is equally effective as Minnie, capturing the uncertainty, vulnerability, and occasional stubbornness of a young woman standing at an important crossroads in her life.
O'Sullivan also deserves credit not only for her work as director but for the thoughtful approach she brings to the material, allowing the performances and quieter moments to speak for themselves.
What's nice about "Mouse" is that it doesn't try to offer easy answers or wrap every emotion in a neat little package. Growing up can be messy, friendships can change, and sometimes the people we least expect become the ones who help us through tough times.
With its gentle storytelling, appealing performances--even David Hyde Pierce ("The Exorcism") has a nice turn as a drama teacher--and stirring examination of relationships, "Mouse" offers a refreshing human perspective on the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
"Mouse" opens in limited release on
Nov. 6 and expands wider Nov. 13. Catch it while you can.
Editor's Note: Be sure to catch my N2Entertainment.net movie talk segment on the Kitty O'Neal Show Fridays at 5:17 p.m. and 6:47 p.m. on radio station KFBK 93.1 FM and 1530 AM.
Watch This Trailer For
"MOUSE"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), The American Film Institute (AFI), and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.
