Eleanor: A Mixed Bag of Emotions
Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, based on a script by Tory Kamen, comes across as both sincere and sweetly acted. However, the film feels a bit strange and perhaps, naive in its exploration of its Holocaust theme. It seems to aim for sentimentality but skips over the more profound existential questions at its core, including the tough decision of whether to place elderly parents in care homes.
In the film, Squibb plays Eleanor Morgenstein, a widowed Jewish woman who doesn’t hold back her opinions. She even encounters a rather bland teenager at the supermarket who muses, somewhat ridiculously, that every pickle tastes the same—an odd way to characterize Eleanor. Living in Florida, she shares an apartment with her dear friend Bessie Stern (Rita Zohar). Bessie, also a widow, carries the weight of being a Holocaust survivor, haunted by the memories of her brother’s tragic fate and her own untold stories.
When Bessie passes away, Eleanor heads to her daughter’s cramped New York apartment, feeling lost right from the start. To combat her loneliness, she connects with a local Jewish senior group, only to find it primarily caters to Holocaust survivors. Desperate for companionship, Eleanor pretends to have survived the Holocaust herself, recycling Bessie’s memories and convincing herself she’s honoring her friend’s legacy.
A new character enters the scene—Nina (Erin Kellyman), an NYU journalism student deeply touched by Eleanor’s story and her late mother’s Jewish heritage. She’s fascinated by Eleanor’s journey as she prepares for a bat mitzvah at an older age. This leads to complications when it involves Nina’s father, Roger Davis (Chuter Egiofort), a television commentator dealing with his own grief.
This setup hints at a potent story filled with dark emotional undercurrents. Yet, when certain inevitable events unfold, the film seems to shy away from the more intense confrontations, almost as if it’s trying to shield Eleanor from harsh realities. Instead, Eleanor becomes a figure of sympathy, while the larger, dire issues that surround Holocaust survivors get glossed over. Adults are well aware that the struggles of these survivors are serious matters, yet the film appears hesitant to delve deeper, especially for Nina, the assigned journalist.
Then there’s the dilemma around care homes. Lisa, Eleanor’s daughter, suggests that perhaps moving to one would be better, which infuriates Eleanor. It’s understandable—she still has her sharp wit and considerable mental acuity. But ultimately, she seems to be resigned to the idea of moving into a home. Why? This remains murky.
Johansson has often expressed pride in her Jewish heritage and her family’s history, particularly the losses during the Holocaust. Yet, it seems that Eleanor, while well-intended, doesn’t entirely resonate.
