Greta (2018) Reviews

• Decent

  sassa_112018-09-10

  The acting was great and there was definitely some real suspense created but also a lot of cliche and unbelievable things occurred (mostly things secondary to the plot actually). I felt that the movie could have been shorter/ended earlier. Overall though the movie was very well acted and enjoyable. Left with a slightly different (and more cautious) view of the world.

• Dragged down by too much nonsense

  piggulu2019-03-04

  Fairly straightfoward and predictable, but nonetheless Huppert brings a chilling performance as the unhinged title character that may make you wary of helping strangers out from now on. The big reveal is spoiled in the trailers, and it come pretty early on. It would've been better had it been delayed a little, after the 2 characters had spent more time together and a few scenes of Greta acting crazy at times to have Frances grow some suspicion. But the main problem is how illogical/stupid the other characters are, beginning with Frances either unable or unwilling to block Greta's number despite the obvious problems, and upping the ante with the ending. All the ridiculousness is summed up one face-palm worthy quote: "What do we tell the police?" Gee, what actually happened might be a good idea.

• So-so stalker drama features great performances from Isabelle Huppert and Chloë Grace Moretz

  paul-allaer2019-03-02

  "Greta" (2018 release; 98 min.) brings the story of Greta Hideg. As the movie opens, we see Greta walking away from the subway. Moments later, a young lady (we later learn she is Frances) finds a purse left behind in the subway. In the purse is a NYC ID card, and when Frances drops by Greta's to return the purse, Greta is overjoyed and invites her in for coffee. The two hit it off and Frances returns to help Greta pick out a dog at the animal shelter. Greta confesses to being very lonely. Then, Frances makes a startling discovery at Greta's house... At this point we are 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out. Couple of comments: this is the latest from writer-director Neil Jordan, who won an Oscar for the screenplay of "The Crying Game" all those years ago. Here he brings us an unlikely, if not implausible, stalker drama (and more?). It is very clear from early on exactly how this all is going to play out, yet Jordan still felt it necessary to pepper the scenario with moments that just make you shake your head. Just one example: when the stalking is going full-scale, Frances is worried about running into Greta again. Wouldn't you know it: of the thousands of random subway stops and cars, Frances gets on and who's on that very same subway car? You guessed it, I mean, c'mon already! It's a darn shame as the lead performances from Isabelle Huppert and Chloë Grace Moretz are quite enjoyable, but they can only do so much with a script that is riddled with implausible moments and/or utterly predictable overall story lines. "Greta" premiered at last Fall's Toronto International Film Festival, and it finally was released wide this weekend. The Friday early evening screening where I saw this at here in Cincinnati was attended poorly (6 people, including myself). I honestly can't see this movie lasting long in theaters.For that it is too uneven and frankly just so-so. But I did enjoy the performances from Isabelle Huppert (now 65 years young, if you can believe it) and Chloë Grace Moretz. If you are a fan of stalker movies and some such, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.

• don't touch that purse

  ferguson-62019-02-28

  Greetings again from the darkness. "Don't touch anything on the subway." That should be a warning posted in all New York City tourist brochures. Recent NYC transplant Frances didn't get the memo. She not only picks up a "lost" handbag, but also wants to personally return it to the rightful owner - despite the counseling of her streetwise roommate. Oscar winning director Neil Jordan (THE CRYING GAME) co-wrote the screenplay with Ray Wright, and they blend in many elements ... not the least of which is making friends with someone you shouldn't. Chloe Grace Moretz plays Frances as the good-hearted Boston-raised girl who is almost too innocent to believe, given the day and age we are in. When Frances returns the purse, she is greeted warmly and appreciatively by a kindly Greta (Isabelle Huppert). The two bond over their individual loneliness: Greta says her daughter lives abroad, and Frances' mother passed away about a year ago. It's easy to see how a friendship forms through a substitute mother-daughter gap-filling. An accidental discovery by Frances sends her out the door, intent on cutting ties with Greta. What Frances soon learns is that Greta is a crafty psychopath of the highest order. It's at this point where filmmaker Jordan kicks in the twisted, dark humor and serves us a cheap-thrills ride via a full blown stalker movie. Greta is truly deranged and once Ms. Huppert cuts loose, we see how much fun she's having. She even plays a piano teacher, which is kind of funny since she was also the piano teacher in THE PIANO TEACHER (2001). She becomes my first and favorite Liszt loving psychopath, who likely isn't as technologically challenged as she makes out. There are stylistic and story elements reminiscent of movies like FATAL ATTRACTION and SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, and Jordan's camera angles and lighting combine with Javier Navarrete's score to dish up some B-movie type comically dark moments. Maika Monroe (IT FOLLOWS) is terrific as Frances' roommate. She's the direct type who tells Frances that "this city will eat you alive", but is also extremely supportive and protective (and good at yoga). Stephen Rea and Colm Feore appear in limited roles, but the fun you have here is directly related to how you buy into the Greta vs Frances web. It's rare to see an onscreen female predator, but neither Mr. Jordan nor Ms. Huppert round off any edges. We are reminded that being nice doesn't always pay off, but having friends certainly does. There is some creepy evil fun to be had, as well as a key life lesson: never trust a woman with too many purses.

• Good performances, but a tad predictable

  brentage50002019-03-03

  Was interested in this from the second I saw the trailer. Chloe Grace Moretz is a great young actress and the film looked real intriguing. On it's side, there are the performances of Moretz as Frankie/Frances/Francesca and Huppert as Greta, the lonely older woman who just wants to love and be loved....no matter what. The film does move along at a good clip and doesn't waste too much time getting to the point, so there's not really any scenes that drag. It's tightly shot, which helps to add to the sense of entrapment Frankie slowly starts to feel. Against it, the ending (in general, if not exactly) is able to be called from twenty minutes out, and there's more than one character engaging in questionable actions....by which I mean (SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT!) a scene where Greta gets a table at the restaurant Frankie works at. Frankie tells her boss the lady is stalking her and she doesn't want to serve her or even have her there, and instead of asking Greta to leave or switching servers or....anything, really....the boss simply tells Frankie to serve her, because "She has a reseervation." WHAT. No boss worth his job would just brush aside a report about a potential stalker in that situation. Even if they don't fully believe the employeee, they'd at least find some way to keep both parties "happy". There's a couple other examples, but that's the most outlandish. Still, the movie did keep me interested, and the ending wrapped things up nicely. I'd give it a higher rating if it had ended with Greta getting away with it and Frankie either dying or becoming fully conditioned to be Greta's "daughter", but as it is I still like it enough to give it a six.