Director: Brie LarsonRunning Time: 92 Minutes
Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Joan Cusack, Bradley Whitford, Karan Soni, Mamoudou Athie, Mary Holland, Hamish Linklater, Annaleigh Ashford, Chris Witaske, Ryan Hansen
Failed artist Kit (Brie Larson) moves back in with her parents, taking a temp job at an office. Dejected with the way her life has turned out, her outlook changes upon receiving a mysterious letter, inviting her to "The Store", the place which sells "what you need".
Released after her highest grossing feature to date, the directorial debut of Brie Larson showcases an assured vision about the daunting nature of adult life, told in a manner as bright and sparkly as our lead characters pursuits. Yes, adult life and failing at your dreams is scary, can be soul-crushing, and can leave you frustrated, but it isn't the end of the world. Though the journey may take longer than usual, it's an achievable goal to overcome them, and Samantha McIntyre's script gets that across rather well.
As our feature begins, Kit is dispirited by how her life has gone, and sees hope in the promise of owning what has been a dream for her since childhood; a Unicorn. She tries to balance moving into adulthood following her disappointment, while not losing her artistic side, and Brie Larson does great work in portraying this. Samuel L. Jackson is his usual electric self as The Salesman, but Mamoudoud Athie is the breakout star as lovable handyman Virgil. Joan Cusack and Bradley Whitford are able support as Kit's parents, wanting to help her through this tough time, but struggle communicating with one another. It's a shame a few of the side characters couldn't have been given more to do though, especially ones working in the office with Kit.
Unicorn Store is a joyous and lively debut about finding the bright side, no matter how daunting the future may seem. A confident direction from Brie Larson hints at great things to come from her directorial work, and any further instalments are highly anticipated.
Comments