Girls, We Have GOT To Talk About "Promising Young Woman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                        Not since, possibly "Fatal Attraction" have I seen  and enjoyed a film with so many contradictions, incongruities and social agendae as "Promising Young Woman."  You have GOT  to see it, darlings.  I was with Cassie (Carey Mulligan)) all the way.

                                        And if you have not seen this film  yet, then stop reading.  Because what follows is meant to be a discussion among those who have already seen the film.  So, let's go.

                                           The title is macabre irony.  Mulligan plays Cassandra "Cassie" Thomas,  working in  an upscale coffee shop, living at home with her parents as she reaches the age of 30.  The  premise is simple--several years back,  when  Cassie and her childhood friend, Nina Fisher, were  both in medical school, Nina went to a  party, where she  was  raped by a guy, with his pals looking and  cheering  him  on.   The experience traumatized her, and while  Cassie did her best to help Nina heal,  it did not take, and she ended her life,  hopefully ending her trauma.  Cassie is  left with unbearable grief, plus survivor guilt; she could have gone to the party with Nina, but opted not to.  Now, to deal with this, she takes some very extreme actions.

                                              This sets "Promising Young Woman" into motion.

                                                Let's start with style.  Anyone who thought "Fatal Attraction" stylish--and it was--this film  exceeds it.  Some shots look like they came from  Vincente Minnelli; others from the caverns of  the  worst nightmares  in  your mind.  And the film, dramatically goes back and forth, in like manner.

                                                 Details and dialogue have to be paid attention to, to get the full impact of the  picture.  Like how Cassie strategically arranges her body in certain  poses to suit her purpose.  Or  that notebook she keeps, when one realizes how long she has been keeping it, and so when the image morphs into  numerical acts like  a play, or chapters in a book, the viewer can grasp the intent of all  this, on  the part  of  Cassie, and  writer-director Emerald Fennell--whose feature film debut this is; one that will be hard to top--and  its  almost maniacal actuality.  And how about  that dramatic scene between Cassie and  Nina's  mom, played by a non-comedic Molly Shannon, who blew me  away with her  ability to do even this brief, dramatic bit, and  where, I suspect, if it has not been figured out yet,  this is the point to deduce that Nina is dead.

                                               Are the men pigs?  As far as I am concerned, yes.  All except  the rapist's defense attorney,  played by Alfred Molina, who, in the wake of what happened is now repentant. But a former female classmate, Madison, is dismissive  and  bitchy, though she does provide Cassie with a key piece of  evidence that enables Cassie to set in motion the final step  of  her  plan. But,  then, some tables get turned on her.

                                                Until then, I had  hoped for Cassie to shoot all the guys involved--even Madison--singlehandedly.  Or maybe castrate each guy.  But after the turn, when  I realized where I was being led, I  found it satisfying, but bittersweet.  The final message rings true.  Karma IS  a bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!  If you are out for revenge, let Karma  do all the  work.

                                                  Nevertheless, the  film generates  a myriad of  questions.   Like the  implication of  Nina's suicide,  without it being clearly stated.  Is Cassie a sociopath?  Is she justified? Has she been instituitionalized  at any point?  Should she have been?  And how about Nina, whom  the viewer never sees, except in a series of photographs?  Nor is her rape depicted visually, just audibly.

                                                     How about us, as individuals?  We all have been through horrid  experiences by people, but would we go in Cassie's direction, or not?  Can we be sure, either way?

                                                     Even if the issues don't  provoke one,  the acting does.  The scene between Carey Mulligan and Connie  Britton, which turns the table on rape culture, is key, and enacted superbly by both.  And  there is a monologue, delivered by Cassie, near the turning point, that is destined to be of future use by young women in acting classes.

                                                       Hey, why wasn't I seen for this?  I would have loved  to play it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                         I've said enough to provoke discussion, while hiding enough from readers tempted to ignore my warning.  I will end  this on one  of the film's key tag lines.

                                                           "Listen."