I believe Spring has arrived, gone are the mediocre disappointing movies on January and February. March has arrived with movie releases we can finally recommend seeing at the
theatre and not Red Box.
First Fighting with My Family (try it you will like it) and now Greta, a well-done psychological thriller whose main characters are all women. First, we are introduced to Frances “Frankie” a recent graduate of Smith. Frankie, a Boston native, is in NYC working as a waitress at a high-end restaurant while living with her college friend Erica. Frankie is mourning the recent death of her mother and has a strained relationship with her father, whom she faults for his moving on from mourning.
While departing the subway, she sees a purse left on a seat. She looks around, sees no one and picks up the purse. The Lost and Found desk in the subway station is unmanned so she takes the purse home with her. Erica, Frankie’s roommate admonishes her for picking up the purse, “This is NYC, you find a bag you call the bomb squad!” They open the purse to find a NYC ID card for Greta Hideg and a wallet of cash. Erica, suggests a spa day or colonic (yuck), which Frankie nixes and is next seen knocking on Greta’s door.
Greta, very French and polished, is thankful for her returned purse and offers coffee which polite Smith graduate Frankie accepts. Poor Greta is a lonely widow whose dog died and her only child is studying in France. Frankie, still mourning the loss of her mother is drawn to Greta and they bond over their shared losses.
Soon they are best buds, texting, sharing meals and even rescuing a dog from the pound for Greta. Erica voices her concern to Frankie, and reminds her Greta is not her mother and their relationship is becoming obsessive. Frankie is not deterred and heads to Greta’s for dinner. Frankie and Greta are making dinner together, they are even wearing similar dresses and taste testing each others dishes (it’s a bit cray cray to me) While searching for dinner candles Frankie discovers a stockpile of purses, just like the one she found on the subway, all with Greta’s NYC ID cards and wallets of cash.
This is the good part, because in so many of these movies, Frankie would then confront Greta
right there and then, and Greta would go psycho on her. But, Frankie plays it cool, she tells Greta she doesn’t feel well and gets out in one piece. She goes home and tells Erica everything. Erica doesn’t say I told you so, but agrees with Frankie that she needs to cut all communication with Greta.
Greta becomes a stalker, calling and texting continuously and even stalking her on the
subway and at work. Frankie and Erica go to the police numerous times for help but are told there is nothing they can do since they were never physically threatened or harmed by Greta.
Isabella Huppert, who plays Greta, is fabulous in her role. Her scene at Frankie’s restaurant
is scary realistic. FYI she makes a point of saying she is a naturalized citizen (I guess this was
before Trump). Chloe Grace Moretz, as Frankie, begins as sweet, “I’ll be your friend” and comes round to someone you don’t want to make cookies with (such a good scene).
Another surprise is Erica, Frankie’s roommate played by Maika Monroe. This is a character
that would normally be strictly background, but Erica comes through as only a true New Yorker
could.
Greta, rated a solid B, is a female driven satisfying thriller with lots of twists and turns. Who
is the real Greta and what happened to her family? See this soon, as I feel it maybe crushed
by the upcoming Captain Marvel.
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