High Femininity: Finding Oneself in 39 ½
By Nelson Maddaloni
Watch 39 1/2 here.
I found Kara Herold’s feature, 39 ½, to be an interesting metanarrative, wherein she has adapted her story of trying to fall in love and raise a family into a film where everyone is playing real people, while simultaneously putting on a film based on real events. The result is a quirky and fun indie film that produced some genuine laughs.
The direction and the acting are very good and expertly crafted. The premise is wonderfully pulled off by the very talented, Beth Lisick in the lead role. The animated segments were an
interesting and fresh way to express oneself, and the story kept me intrigued from start to finish. The film especially produced a good laugh during a scene where Kara is trying to read a pregnancy test with a spotlight. It is beautifully executed.
The focus shifted throughout the film, bouncing from theme to theme and establishing the balancing act women must make between career and a meaningful personal life. The fast pace reflects the protagonist’s inner struggle. Real life is often the seemingly random succession of events that make up this crazy thing we call life. Ultimately, Kara fights to choose to fall in love on her terms, despite everyone and the world around her. She is uncompromising and breaks the old trope that a woman is to be chosen, not the agent of her own choices. She cultivates the narrative to fit her vision of the world, given the film she is creating within the film.
Director, Kara Herold captured my interest as a film lover. I see very interesting discussions to be had over this kind of movie, and it makes me interested, to say the least, in her body of work, as well as any future projects after this particular film. She shows a capacity for original takes on a premise we have seen before. Her animated segments were quite a nice touch to the film and that helped make it stand out from the rest. I do wonder, though, if the
entire movie could’ve been animated or if the animation could’ve served an even stronger narrative purpose. Either way, she leaves me wanting more from her. I eagerly anticipate what is to come.
Watch 39 1/2 here.