Audrey Review: An Ensemble Worth Following into the Dark

Audrey, directed by Natalie Bailey, tells the story of the dysfunctional Lipsick family and how they each respond when youngest daughter Audrey falls into a coma after an accident. The film stars Jackie van Beek as Ronnie Lipsick, a former actress who gave up her career for motherhood and now lives through her daughter’s ambitions.

Jeremy Lindsay Taylor plays Cormack Lipsick, Ronnie’s husband who seems to have lost his way. Josephine Blazier plays Audrey, who has become resentful of her mother living vicariously through her.

While the premise may sound like the set-up for a maudlin family drama, Audrey is actually a pitch-black comedy that explores the family’s issues through absurdly funny situations. Ronnie, in particular, finds empowering ways to reclaim her dreams with Audrey indisposed. The film also shines a light on topics like narcissism, unfulfilled ambitions, and our cultural tendency to prioritize individual needs over responsibilities.

Director Bailey doesn’t hold back in skewering the Lipsicks’ dysfunctional behaviors. Yet through it all, her talented cast imbue the characters with empathy. The result is a film that entertains through its willingness to push boundaries, but also leaves us pondering the human truths within the darkly comedic tale. For those with a taste for provocative family fare with serious wit, Audrey delivers big laughs with an interesting bite.

A Breath of Fresh Air

The Lipsick family at the center of Audrey is undeniably dysfunctional. Eldest daughter Audrey is the main focal point, with every family member’s life revolving around her relentless pursuit of stardom. Mother Ronnie is a former actress who gave up her career for motherhood but now lives through her daughter’s ambitions. Husband Cormack seems disengaged and going through the motions. Younger sister Norah often finds her interests overlooked.

From the outset, tensions are high within this household. Audrey resents her mother’s pushiness and controlling nature. Ronnie is frustrated with her thwarted dreams and takes it out on those around her. Cormack feels sidelined and lacks purpose. Norah dreams of joining her fencing team but sacrifices are always made for Audrey.

It’s in this fraught environment that the inciting incident occurs – Audrey falls from a roof and enters a deep coma. In some ways, this tragedy seems to relieve the pressures weighing on the family. Without their focal point dominating matters, each member is surprisingly able to take back some power and agency.

Ronnie decides to reclaim her actress identity by filling in for her comatose daughter at an acting workshop. Here she rediscovers her passion and youthful spirit. Cormack finds work on a salacious film set and indulges his sexuality through an affair. Norah is freed to fully commit to her fencing, showing real talent when given the opportunity.

As Audrey remains unconscious, the film becomes a darkly funny exploration of human nature. Each Lipsick seems to grow and thrive without their domineering family member holding them back. Perhaps even more telling, they appear genuinely unbothered by Audrey’s uncertain fate. Only time will tell if this newfound liberation lasts, or if old toxic patterns will reemerge if Audrey should wake up once more.

Bringing Dysfunction to Life

At the center of Audrey is the Lipsick family – a thoroughly dysfunctional bunch that will likely frustrate but nonetheless captivate viewers. Each character is intricately flawed and begging further dissection

Let’s begin with mother Ronnie. As a former actress now stuck in the suburbs, she’s unfulfilled and resentful. Jackie van Beek brings a hustling desperation to the role that’s both cringeworthy and compelling. You understand Ronnie’s lost ambitions, even if you don’t condone how she lives through daughter Audrey. Van Beek ensures you feel for Ronnie even as she makes dubious choices.

Speaking of Audrey, she’s introduced as a bratty teenager with acid tongue. Yet Josephine Blazier imbues her with complex layers – you see why she resents her mother’s control yet start to pity her stifled youth. In comatose scenes, Blazier’s subtle facial expressions still convey Audrey’s prickly spirit. She’s no mere villain but a hostage to circumstance.

Father Cormack seems the most disengaged Lipsick at first. Jeremy Lindsay Taylor injects gloomy humor into even Cormack’s darkest moments. Whether exploring sexuality or connecting with his boss, Taylor ensures Cormack’s journey toward meaning feels genuine. His slow awakening from domestic slumber gives the story heart.

Lastly, Norah easily slips into the background thanks to domineering family members. Hannah Diviney prevents this with a poised, matter-of-fact line delivery that steals scenes. Beneath her crisp exterior, you sense Norah’s longing for passion and agency. Diviney elevates what could’ve been a peripheral character into a richly-drawn soul.

Together, this cast breathes dynamism into people who could’ve become caricatures. Their intense yet nuanced performances are what transform Audrey from blunt social commentary into an intimately complex character study. Even at their most deranged, the Lipsicks remain tragically human – a testament to talents that ensure this black comedy cuts far deeper than expected.

Escaping Responsibilities for Fun and Profit

This film explores some weighty themes, mainly how responsibilities can feel like shackles in our increasingly individualistic world. Each Lipsick enjoys a liberating “fantasy” when Audrey falls comatose, escaping obligations to toxic family roles.

Ronnie relishes abandoning thankless motherhood to reclaim her acting dreams. For years, she’s put daughter Audrey’s career first while neglecting her own passions. Without Audrey, Ronnie enrolls in classes under an assumed identity – blissfully pursuing self-fulfillment again through performance.

Cormack shirks the depressed house-husband act too. Lonely in his loveless marriage, he finds purpose mingling in risqué social circles. Empowered sexually, Cormack reconnects to repressed parts of himself and forms a meaningful bond.

Even Norah escapes Audrey’s shadow, excelling in fencing when she finally receives dedicated support. No longer overlooked, she comes into her own on the piste.

The film suggests modern life often leaves little room for individual fulfillment outside family, career and duties. Like Ronnie, we crave opportunities to rediscover early aspirations and talents. But embracing apparent selfishness comes with moral questions – as does celebrating one’s dysfunctional family member losing capacity.

Ultimately, the Lipsicks’ “fantasies” enrich their lives temporarily but can’t last. Reality looms that Audrey may recover, upending their escapes. We’re reminded modern comforts still can’t replace intimate human connections, even in disordered families. Though responsibilities can feel oppressive, shirking them risks loneliness down the line.

With dark humor, Audrey sparks complex debate around balancing individualism and obligation in socially-networked times. It portrait a profoundly isolated, narcissistic culture where even parenting transforms into a performance for validation and living vicariously through offspring. Perhaps that says something about elevating individual fulfillment above caring for others.

Finding Laughs in Life’s Dark Places

Audrey shows how even the bleakest of family dramas can uncover humor – if you look in the right light. This film dances a deft line between absurd laughs and genuine emotional insight. It touches on heavy themes yet makes them digestible through dark comedy.

The adventures the Lipsicks find themselves in are truly bizarre. From biblical porn to pretend daughters, their antics could feel over-the-top. But the script ensures these oddities remain grounded. No matter how strange the escapades, we feel their sadness, desires and messy humanity underneath.

The characters are always aware of humor in their dysfunction too. They don’t take themselves too seriously, even when grappling with real pains. This gives their actions Permission to be ridiculous without crossing into disrespect. We root for them, not despite their flaws but because the film embraces life’s contradictions.

Even heavy subjects like narcissism and forced obligations get laughs through self-aware lenses. Audrey sees acting classes as both cringey hobby and lifeline – it doesn’t shy from hard truths yet finds lightness within. This balance is director Natalie Bailey’s real triumph.

She trusts viewers are complex beings who experience many emotions at once. We can relate to Ronnie’s stalled creative dreams and cheer her rule-bending without condoning all choices. The comedy opens difficult discussions through a fun house mirror – reflections are distorted just enough for comfort.

At its heart, Audrey finds the hilarious amid daily tragedies because that’s the human experience. We all live in tensions between hope and hopelessness, between what we wish for and get. Its wit, even in sadness, is this film’s great lesson – that you can face life’s darkness and still see the joke.

Excellent Tone Behind The Vision

This film wouldn’t succeed without Natalie Bailey’s deft directorial hand. She guides this story through dark waters into lighter places. Bailey matches the absurdity with heart, finding laughs where possible but always keeping characters real.

Her experience in shorts prepares Bailey well. Audrey moves at bouncing pace between events yet never feels frantic. Sharp editing joins each scene smoothly while maintaining tension. We grasp the full whirlwind these people live in yet stay grounded.

Visuals amplify the wit too. Cinematography paints the world in all its richness, from ornate pleasures to plain miseries. We see spaces and expressions that say more than words. Even fleeting shots contribute to the whole, keeping comedy flowing.

Then there’s the score. You may not notice its mastery consciously yet it works behind the scenes. Music swells for both humor and pathos, swinging deftly between emotions. It lends moments levity or poignancy as feelings evolve. We share this family’s journey partly because the soundtrack guides us perfectly.

Direction, camera, music – each facet comes together under Bailey’s lead. She ensures every piece pulls its weight for the greater whole. Audrey triumphs because of its balance: a testament to the vision and talent behind this offbeat charmer.

A Prescient Absurdist Delight

I wholeheartedly recommend Audrey for those open to following quirky tales down strange but meaningful paths. Its absurdist style may divide crowds, but underneath lay thought-provoking themes.

This film balances on a razor’s edge, crafting absurd situations that somehow feel plausible given its characters. It asks us to sympathize with people navigating selfish impulses and shirked duties and introduces dilemmas many will relate to, even if choices made are far from sensible.

Audrey challenges the notion we’re all destined for contentment if persistently pursuing individual dreams. It show how desires left unchecked can hurt loved ones and leave us unfulfilled. Though unpleasant, its critique of individualism eclipsing responsibility resonates in an age where boundaries blur between public and private selves.

Ultimately this film succeeds through its willing ensemble, who imbue the extraordinary with authentic emotion. They navigate complex roles with nuance, reminding us there’s light in even the most misguided souls. Audrey is not an easy watch but rewards open-minded adventurers with poignant social commentary disguised as madcap entertainment.

While certain scenes may divide, you cannot deny the bold risk-taking that brought this story to life. I applaud its creators for thoughtful provocation masked as pitch-black humor. Audrey deserves appreciation for pushing boundaries and provoking discussion through its spirited talent and twisted tales.

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