Film - Shirley

Shirley looks like a play with four main characters:

• Shirley (Elisabeth Moss) is described as a writer who finds her mojo until a young student comes to live in her home.

• Her husband, the lecturing professor

• His employee, Fred who has moved to the town to start work as a lecturer

• And his wife, Rose, the student who falls into a trap and unwittingly becomes the family housekeeper when the last of a long line of them walks out on them

Shirley (based on real-life writer Shirley Jackson) is about the relationship between the two women. Once a fan of Shirley’s work, Rose seems equally fascinated and appalled by her rude behaviour.

Shirley becomes equally intrigued by Rose and begins writing a story about a student who goes missing from the college. Rose becomes a muse, and there is a sudden bout of productivity from the agoraphobic writer.

Shirley is one of those films where I have no empathy for any of the characters although I warm to one by the end.

Dreary

5/10