Written and directed by Pascal Bergamin, co-written by Stephan Teuwissen, the lives of three strangers collide in a bizarre road accident. After the initial turmoil, they decide to handle the aftermath without involving the police. The unlikely trio forge unusual alliances and as their pasts unravel, grow ever closer, unexpectedly discovering a deep sense of kinship. Starring: Tara Fitzgerald, Jeany Spark, Yasmin Monet Prince, Mark Lewis Jones, Annette Badland, Abigail Cruttenden, Joseph Marcell, Sheila Reid and Cavan Clerkin.
Comedy in this day and age can be a very bland genre, a lot of films either play it safe or they go down a stereotypical route of cringe or crude cinema that falls flat. Whereas Portraits of Dangerous Women goes for something different, it’s boldly offbeat and the sense of humour is delightfully unique. The personality of the writing is so utterly specific, it has hints of a classic British style but it creates something that’s distinctly its own.
The story plays out like a misadventure, one that blends the mundanity of everyday life with a touch of the bizarre. It’s one of those films that’s not necessarily about the destination, it’s about the unusual people that these characters meet along the way and the connections that they build. Pascal Bergamin and Stephan Teuwissen do a wonderful job of capturing the complicated nature of female friendship, as well as the struggle to trust. By the time we see the bond blossom between these women, it’s sincerely touching. It’s a lovely example of how friendship can bring out the best in people.
Part of how it builds that feel of misadventure, to mix into its comedy-drama blend is its colourful nature and a nicely bouncy score. There’s a good balance between its deadpan sense of humour and a light-heartedness, it would be easy to lean into the sarcasm and go slightly darker but it holds onto a playful edge. The cameo performances help a lot with that, it speaks to their quality that you wish they would all last longer. Annette Badland and Sheila Reid in particular are fantastic, each bring very different personalities but they both have a charm and warmth which are really enjoyable to watch.
The performances are definitely one of Portraits of Dangerous Women’s biggest strengths because there’s no weak link. The ensemble is all working very strongly in sync to hit those comedy notes throughout, and its leading women are hugely entertaining. They all have their own fierceness whether that be on the outside, inside or a little bit of both. Watching Tara Fitzgerald, Jeany Spark and Yasmin Monet Prince create these extremely different women who start off on such poor footing but find a sincere connection is surprisingly engaging.
They each push different buttons, Fitzgerald’s Tina is quiet and calculated yet vulnerable while Spark’s Steph is a little bit clumsy but honest and straightforward, while Prince’s Ashley is quirky and uber confident. They perfectly match the offbeat nature to the tone of Portraits of Dangerous Women which is something that’s again matched by Bergamin’s direction. There’s a great tendency to not use the obvious shot, to take a slightly different angle or framing. To stray away from simple, centred shooting and open up the focus.
Portraits of Dangerous Women is a decidedly offbeat and deceptively charming comedy. Led by three wonderful performances from Tara Fitzgerald, Jeany Spark and Yasmin Monet Prince. It’s unique which is a tricky thing to find in today’s landscape, it’s actively trying to be different and portray everyday moments in a way that’s both funny and grounded. The interesting point this film makes is not that these women are dangerous, it’s that you shouldn’t presume who a woman is or who she can be, every woman has the potential to be dangerous, if she wants to be, especially with the help of her friends.
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