She's Lost Control (film)

She's Lost Control
Film poster
Directed by	Anja Marquardt
Produced by	Anja Marquardt Kiara C. Jones Mollye Asher Oren Moverman
Written by	Anja Marquardt
Starring	Brooke Bloom Marc Menchaca Dennis Boutsikaris Laila Robins Robert Longstreet
Music by	Simon Taufique
Cinematography	Zachary Galler
Edited by	Anja Marquardt Nick Carew
Production company	SLC Film Rotor Film
Distributed by	Monument Releasing
Release dates	February 9, 2014 (2014-02-09) (Berlin International Film Festival)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

She's Lost Control is a 2014 American dark drama film written and directed by Anja Marquardt in her directorial debut. The film stars Brooke Bloom as Ronah, a sexual surrogate whose professional intimacy with her male clients has begun to take over her personal life. The film had its world premiere at the 2014 Berlin International Film Festival^[1] in February where it won the Forum section's top prize, the CICAE International Confederation of Art Cinemas Award, being called a "masterpiece" by the jury.^[2] Just one month later, in March 2014, She's Lost Control had its North American premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, followed by a New York premiere at New Directors/New Films at Film Society of Lincoln Center and MoMa, where it was described as a "stylish, deeply unnerving, and profound film on an intangible modern issue."^[3]

The film was released theatrically in the U.S. by Monument Releasing on March 20, 2015, and will be released theatrically in Germany May 14, 2015.^[4]

Plot

Fiercely independent, Ronah works as a sexual surrogate in New York City, teaching her clients the very thing they fear most - to be intimate. Her life unravels when she starts working with a volatile new client, Johnny, blurring the thin line between professional and personal intimacy in the modern world.

Cast

• Brooke Bloom as Ronah
• Marc Menchaca as Johnny
• Dennis Boutsikaris as Dr. Alan Cassidy
• Laila Robins as Irene
• Tobias Segal as Christopher
• Roxanne Day as Claire
• Ryan Homchick as Andro
• Robert Longstreet as C.T.

Production

Initial production funds for She's Lost Control were raised on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, earning a total of $50,081 by November 9, 2012.^[5] The film was shot entirely in New York City, principal photography commenced June 28, 2013.

Reception

She's Lost Control received positive reviews from critics. David Rooney in his review for The Hollywood Reporter described the film as "chilling" and "austerely elegant", "acted with naturalistic intensity", "arrestingly lit and shot, exhibiting a sharp eye for expressive compositions."^[6] Marc Adams of Screen International said in his review that there's "much to admire in Marquardt’s control and precision as well as a well sustained lead performance by lead actress Brooke Bloom (...) Brooke Bloom is impressive... while Menchaca is equally impressive." Adams called the film "astutely cold and compelling", "unglossy and taut."^[7] Eric Kohn of Indiewire called the film "a fascinating debut" and "engrossing" and graded the film A- by saying that "She's Lost Control strikes a fascinating mood between slow-building angst and cold remove not unlike the Joy Division song that provides its title."^[8] Steve Dollar of The Wall Street Journal featured the film saying its "wintry visual design and tone of isolation feels akin to dystopian science-fiction or a horror film, the kind in which high-rise apartment buildings leak paranoia. Against the chill, Ms. Bloom performs with flesh-and-blood urgency."^[9] In her review for the LA Times, Katie Walsh finds that the "cinematic style and themes of urban alienation reflect almost a 1970s thriller quality, though the execution is decidedly modern. "She's Lost Control" is a quiet triumph, a true herald of a distinctive and necessary voice in cinema."^[10]

Accolades

References

External links

• She's Lost Control at the Internet Movie Database
• She's Lost Control on Facebook