Check out our film review of Allure below!
Synopsis:
Laura (Evan Rachel Wood) works as a house cleaner for her father’s company but her personal life is not so pristine. Rough around the edges, looking for love in all the wrong places, her heartbreaking behavior points to hardships of the past. One day on the job, in yet another house, Laura meets Eva (Julia Sarah Stone), a quiet teenager unhappy with her disciplined life. In Eva, Laura rediscovers an innocent tenderness. In Laura, Eva finds a thrilling rebel who can bring her into unknown territories. The mutual attraction soon morphs into obsession as Laura convinces Eva to run away and secretly come live with her, perilously raising the stakes for the young, impressionable girl as Laura’s emotional instability becomes increasingly clear. As their world closes in, they must unearth certain truths to find a way out.
Reviewer’s thoughts:
Allure is both fascinating yet frightening. Wood plays Laura, a woman who works for her father’s company doing house-cleaning in an unnamed city. While cleaning one day she meets Eva (Julia Sarah Stone). What starts out as a blooming friendship quickly turns into a slow seduction; Laura has set her sights on the innocent Eva. And Eva, finding a confidante in Laura, is just as curious. After Eva has a fight with her mother over not wanting to move in with her and her mother’s boyfriend, Eva accepts an invitation to hang out at Laura’s place. What she doesn’t realize is that Laura has no intention of letting Eva leave. And from that point, there’s no easy way out.
The film starts out rather shocking and violent. But, it sets the pace for the rest of the movie to follow the path of development of what’s to come; and how no matter what happens, it will not be a happy ending. Laura is not well. She is in pain; she is troubled. And long after the movie is over, questions remain. And in the end, one could even say that Laura is finally done with being Laura for good.
Evan Rachel Wood gives a truly masterful performance. While she is best known for playing Delores Abernathy on HBO’s Westworld, Allure gives Wood a chance to show just how talented and serious of an actress she is. She plays fearless, angry, scared, and manipulative with ease. But most importantly, she is believable and flawless.
Final thoughts: Evan Rachel Wood is the perfect actress for this role, alongside a strong supporting cast. For those who like drama and independent film, this movie is definitely a must see!
