Elizabeth McCracken‘s “It’s Not You” is yet another witty-sad short story about a woman, a young one, cut loose by a man. It’s a particularly scintillating one, though, which deals with the moral effects of rejection (to the “victim”: “You are young to be so unkind”) and people’s easy, unexpected behaviors and reactions. McCracken avoids both moralism and, well, easy or cheap humanism. The result is something almost captivating. “It’s Not You” was added to the Best American Short Stories (2020) anthology, and, yes—come to think of it—American hotels did model “opulence on Versailles.”

Henrik Ibsen was keenly aware that most people are not noble—or heroic. They’re simply ordinary, which is the case with Rahim (Amir Jadidi), the “hero” in the Asghar Farhadi film A Hero (2019, on Prime Video), for Farhadi knows it too. Rahim is the Krogstad, the Hjalmar, etc. of the narrative and is conscientious but heavily in debt to a man with a low opinion of him. The creditor, Bahram, sees Rahim as a ingrate, refusing to honor him, as others honor him, for returning a bag of gold coins to a stranger who lost it. He was merely doing his duty, says Bahram.

A sympathetic figure, Rahim is on a precipice. His mind fiercely resists the idea of going back to debtors’ prison. A socioeconomic reality, this, but of course it is part of the broad canvas of human misery that emerges in Farhadi’s oeuvre. Iran, where the movie is set, produces defeat because life produces defeat. Yet we happen to believe—I do, anyway—that Rahim will endure. Even social media, an important element in this superb film, will not sink him.

(In Farsi with English subtitles)

I can’t remember whether Chic Young’s comic strip Blondie was funny, but it arose at a time of high originality for comic strips—Dick Tracy and Li’l Abner were there too—and managed to be popular. Blondie (1938), the first in a series of movies adapted from the strip, is funny—a curio strictly out for laughs. Everything from the purchase, despite money problems, of furniture to Dagwood’s alleged unfaithfulness to Blondie brings about zany contretemps.

Dagwood (Arthur Lake) is too dumb to be very likable. Blondie (Penny Singleton) can be a nag, but is good-natured. Singleton has more charm than Lake, although neither overplays the assigned character. Not that every joke works, but congrats to screenwriter Richard Flournoy; and, yes, director Frank Strayer.

I saw this lark on Tubi.

Few, I believe, will disagree that there is histrionic talent in England’s Natalie Dormer. She gets the chance to do a lot in a 13-minute short by one Erin Cramer—“The Ring Cycle” (2014, available on YouTube)—with its successful blend of mild comedy and melancholy drama. Versatile Dormer is moving, suggesting a wave of emotion cresting in her but never breaking. Her character is Millie, who happily receives a wedding ring from Richard (Emun Elliott, also good) who soon discontentedly renounces the marriage. But Millie cannot discard the ring. There is economical art here—the movie is almost too short—with Cramer and Dormer making a fine team.

Happily, Two Days, One Night, the 2015 Belgian film by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, made it to Tulsa, Oklahoma (where I live) pretty quickly.

The picture concerns the strivings of the individual in a prosperous but economically weakened country (Belgium), an intact but imperfect economy.  Sandra (Marion Cotillard) suffers from depression but, an employee at a solar panel factory, she is ready to work again after sick leave.  The factory owner has seen that 16 workers, not the usual 17, are sufficient for operating the business and so decides to have his underlings vote on whether to keep Sandra at the company or receive a helpful bonus.  I mentioned an economically weakened country, but one realizes what a morally weakened country it can be as well.

Sandra needs the job; most of her fellow workers need the bonus, or believe they need it.  Nevertheless, driven around by her husband and worriedly popping meds, our heroine visits these people to meekly ask them if they will vote to retain her.  It’s an honestly depicted occurrence.

English: Marion Cotillard during the Paris premiere of Public Enemies at the cinema UGC Normandie (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There is very good acting in the film, with brilliance from Cotillard.  “Sandra’s mettle, almost imperceptibly, strengthens” (Peter Rainer).  Yes, it does, and Cotillard ably exhibits this.  Usually the character seems on the verge of living soundly and contentedly, though not without Xanax, which surely has a lot to do with having a splendid husband (Fabrizio Rongione) and two pleasant children.  Family life is not working against Sandra.

Despite a couple of flaws, Two Days, One Night is a sturdy and well-intentioned jewel.  Fortunate is the city that provides a showing.

(In French with English subtitles)