Surroundedbyracksofblisteringlywhitedresses,Tyler
(AliaShawkat)reachesforhersunniesandacceptsthe
shopassistant’sofferofchampagne.Herbestfriend,
Laura(HollidayGrainger),is tryingonpotentialwedding
gowns– allpearlsandlace,customarilyvirginal.
Laurashoutsfromthechanging room, ‘It’s going to
bea verymodernwedding.’
Tylerrollshereyes.Bothwomenarea littleblearyfrom
cumulativeweeks– months,years– ofpartying,yetthey
debatemarriage’scontemporaryvalue and significance
withverveandassertiveness.HedonisticTylerbelieves
the institutionis, by definition,archaicand oppressive.
Laurasaysherpersonalfeminismis about ‘blazing a
newwaythrougholdtraditions’.
The push and pull of proximity
Animals(2019)is a storyaboutevolution,if notrevolu
tion.DirectedbySophieHydeandbasedonthebook
ofthesamenamebyEmmaJaneUnsworth,it is also
a fierce,headyfilm about women’sfriendship.Animals
explorestheintimatebutinsecurebondsharedbytwo
millennial‘dropouts’livingin Ireland.Galsabouttown,
TylerandLaurahavebeeninseparablefora decade,but
theirdesiresandbeliefsstarttodivergewhenLaura
proposestoherboyfriend,the(sober)concertpianist
Jim(FraFee).Portrayingdecadenceanddecayin equal
measure,Hyde’sfilm lays out the road map of heteronor
mativeadulthoodandasks,‘But what if you choose to
driveawayfromthesunset?’
WithcinematicgodparentsinWithnailandI(Bruce
Robinson,1987)andGirlfriends(ClaudiaWeill,1978),
thisbittersweetdramedycapturestheoverlapping
modesoflovethatbudandwanebetweenwomen.
Partnersin crime,LauraandTylersquandertheday
lighthoursworking– oravoidingdoingso– in call
centresandcafes.Theyrelishtheirnightstogetherin
bars and clubs,intimacyenhancedby alcoholand illicit
substances.AnAmericanlonewolfin Dublin,Tylerhas
beenadoptedbyLaura’sconventionalnuclearfamily;
sheattendstheirfancydinnersout and plies the table
withquotesbyEzraPound.
The friendsare also flatmates,nursingthat unique
closenessthatcomesfromcohabitation.Theyshare
beds,bottlesandtampons.Theostentatiousidto
Laura’spensivesuperego,Tylercanlookata toilet
bowlfullofherbosombuddy’surineandnotbatan
eye.Onthetopicofmenstruation,shenotes,‘The
Moonhasmarriedusboth,’theircyclesnowsoin
sync.ButtheirsarenottheonlynuptialsonLaura’s
horizon.Soon,Tylerwillhavetoshareherprizedcom
panionwithsomeoneelse– ofthemalevariety.
Laurameetstheshy,retiringJimwhileoutonthe
tileswithTyler.In anawkwardbutpivotalscenedeftly
handledby directorand cast alike, sparksfly every
whichway. Laura is flirty, apparentlyattractedto Jim’s
‘enigmatic’manner.Tyler,however,is outwardlydis
trustful – jealous, even – as she reads Jim’s shiny dress
Thisspread,clockwisefromleft:LauraandTyler
(two images); Laura with her boyfriend, Jim (Fra Fee)http://www.metromagazine.com.au | © ATOM | Metro Magazine 201• 21