The Unforgivable
Directed by Nora Fingscheidt
★★★
Description
THE UNFORGIVABLE: VIOLA DAVIS as LIZ INGRAM. CR: KIMBERLEY FRENCH/NETFLIX © 2021
KIMBERLEY FRENCH/NETFLIX © 2021
It has been three years since Sandra Bullock appeared on our screens in Bird Box, also a Netflix vehicle. Luckily for her (and us), we have had plenty of time to cleanse our palettes from the taste it left in our mouths. This time around, Bullock stars in the brooding and dark The Unforgivable, which is entering its limited theatrical window before winding up exclusively on Netflix (no doubt in hopes to become an awards contender in an already too crowded field).
The Unforgivable follows Bullock’s Ruth Slater, newly released from a 20-year stint in prison for the murder of a police officer, as she looks to reconnect with her sister. She tries to navigate getting a job, romance and life in general, with the difficulty of her always being one google search away from anyone finding out her history.
Structurally, the movie struggles a bit with the pacing, which is mostly due to the incessant flashbacks. The film intersperses memories of the fateful night Ruth’s life changed slowly throughout the runtime, giving us small fragments of the entire picture. It can be effective, but it's not really done in a way that keeps us guessing. We know where the stories headed and the film's third act ‘twist’ is less of a shock and more of a relief that they are finally confirming what we already know. Based on the 2009 miniseries Unforgiven, it's easy to see how this structure would more easily succeed in that format (especially in the post-Mare of Easttown landscape).
Bullock, however, is flawless in her portrayal of Ruth. She bears a quiet, constant pain under her brooding brow, each passing moment adding to the hole that consumes her with every day she has not seen her sister. Bullock once again proves that she is a consummate artist, capable of any task. The supporting cast is rounded out by strong performances as well, Jon Bernthal plays a quiet but charming co-worker, and Vincent D'Onofrio a bleeding-heart attorney who lives in Ruth’s old house along with his wife Viola Davis. Though Davis’ role is smaller than usual, she can’t help but be the most engrossing part of any scene she’s in. Others might play the part of the wife as just skeptical of Ruth, but Davis provides so many layers. We look into her eyes and understand that she knows things would be different for her or her kids, there is a history of pain and understanding of how things are in our country. She is brilliant and captivating. There is a reason she is one of the greatest actors of all time.
The film is more surefooted when it focuses on Bullock and her interactions with those around her. When we tread into the b-plot territory, revolving around the family of the officer Ruth went to prison for killing, that's when the waters get a little murky and begin to enter a more campy territory, a stark contrast from everything else on display. It teeters between a modern crime drama and a nineties throwback (reminiscent of this year's Those Who Wish Me Dead, also starring Bernthal).
Ultimately, the plotting is a little messy and could have benefited from some tightening up and more solid direction from Nora Fingscheidt. However, Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis can’t help but be so damn good, making it worth your time (and maybe even some awards attention).
