SHE CAME TO ME by writer/director Rebecca Miller tells a story where each character has their own idiosyncrasies. The characters with complex problems are very singular in their portrayal which is a disappointment because the film does not find its footing until the final act.
Steven Lauddem (Peter Dinklage) is an opera composer with writer’s block, depression and a horrible case of anxiety. He lives with his wife/therapist Patricia (Anne Hathaway) who guided him through a total mental breakdown. Patricia has her practice at their Brooklyn house with Julian (Evan Ellison), her 18-year-old son from a previous marriage. Patricia yearns for something more and ponders becoming a nun (a subplot that pops up later in the film). She is obsessed with cleanliness and although it isn’t mentioned in the film, the interior of the house is all white for this reason.
One early morning while out walking the family dog Lauddem enters a pub, tying the dog outside. Once inside he rediscovers Jameson whisky and encounters a tugboat captain named Katrina (Marisa Tomei). They talk each other up for a bit and end up back at the boat where she has her way with him. She may be in love, or it could be her sex addiction steering this love boat.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Julian is dating his 16-year-old classmate, Tereza (Harlow Jane). Her father Trey (Brian d’Arcy James) is a courtroom stenographer whose hobby is reenacting historical battles. Tereza’s mother Magdalena, (Joanna Kulig) works for Julian’s parents cleaning their house. They become aware their children are dating by lucky happenstance when they show up at Julian’s home when Magdalene is cleaning.
The age difference in the children isn’t a problem until Magdalena discovers Polaroids in Julian’s room that he took of Tereza in seductive poses She confides in her husband, who is a by-the-book type of person(especially when it comes to the laws). He says that he wants Julian arrested for statutory rape.
SHE CAME TO ME zigzags these characters and plots throughout the film. There are times that situations are engaging, like when Steven premieres his opera for an audience that includes his wife and his tugboat fling Katrina. Seeing the fear embodying him as he realizes that the pair may meet is amusing. So he does, what any anxiety-fuelled person would do, run out unnoticed and jog home to hide under his bed’s covers.
There are a handful of touching scenes throughout the film that really humanize the characters. When Dinklage as Steven talks to his stepson Julian and says that he wishes he was a better stepfather. This is a powerful back-and-forth between each character. If there were more touching scenes throughout the film it would connect with audiences on a better scale. Dinklage does what he can with the material allotted to him.
The scene when Anne Hathaway confronts her husband about his infidelity is stressful but at the same time interesting. This is when his wife Patricia declares she’s becoming a nun. Shortly after this as she is taking pictures and diplomas down off the walls, she goes into her study where a patient has let himself in. This guy pops up earlier in the film and talks about how he sees her naked in his mind. She plays off this and as her threads of sanity fray, she strips down in front of him and ends up screaming hysterically.
Marisa Tomei is interesting as a tugboat, sex addict, but she doesn’t get enough screen time to connect with the audience fully. She is definitely fun to watch, but there was no real connection with her character arc.
SHE CAME TO ME doesn’t really know where it wants to go. The humour falls flat and the romance of this rom-com gets lost in many different plots and subplots. Rebecca Miller leaves the viewer with more questions about what constitutes a romantic comedy. The film would have been better served to embrace dramatic elements and possibly forgo the comedy altogether. Either way, it is an interesting film to watch for the performances, and there won’t be another film where Marisa Tomei is credited as Tug boat captain, so scratch that off your bucket list!
