WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
Mechanisms of abuse. When we come across something that, on the surface, appears to be everything we’ve ever wanted, gaining such overt happiness and contentment as we’ve ever known, and holding onto it with all our might, what happens when the dream becomes a nightmare? How true can this, unfortunately, ring in association with relationships, so idyllic and loving at first, only to devolve into that which not only hurts us inwardly, but outwardly as well? Once patterns of violence are present, what’s enough to say “No more!”? For struggling NYC Podcast-er Victoria Timm (Marianne Hettinger), life is really a series of near wins or major disappointments as she strives to make her name and way in the Big Apple.
After a disastrous interview with a former renowned skater Marina Katt (Cheryl Aiello), Victoria seems at a loss, frustrated and fed up, despite the encouragement from her cameraman Enzo (Velson D’Souza) and gofer Blanche (Deborah S. Craig). Circumstances emerge, however, which offer Victoria the chance to do an interview with Olympic medal-winning ski jumper Max Bauer (Andreas Beckett), a man she’s idolized for a long, long time. The two end up in a whirlwind romance, with lust initially ruling more than love, that eventually leads to taking things to the next level. Yet, even as it seems Victoria has finally found the greatest satisfaction in life she’s known, Max’s behavior starts taking erratic and aggressive, threatening turns. Soon, it becomes a fight for Victoria to live with ongoing mistreatment or find the fortitude to stand up for herself.
Next, my Mind:
Thematically, domestic abuse is a frighteningly common exploration taken on by filmmakers worldwide, but it isn’t remotely because it’s the current “Flavor of the Month” for everyone to dive into. No, it’s out of the sheer, absolute necessity for more awareness, understanding, vivid illustrations of its impact upon, mainly, the women it so drastically affects, and the ultimate battle cry for as many people as possible to stand up and aid in the fight against it. Now, how filmmakers choose to showcase these notions varies immensely as well, and here, with writer/director/producer/lead actress Hettinger’s 115-minute feature film, it’s via the dramedy genre, starting out as a quirkily hilarious look at one woman’s search for real purpose and success in life that slowly, but with definitive degrees of noticeable separation, evolves into a potent, sometimes disturbing tale of domestic abuse that both illustrates the demeaning damage it can cause while still being willing to show how it can not only potentially inspire its lead character to finally take the steps she needs to in the situation, but grow and learn from it in ways that might end up assisting others facing similar events, most assuredly applicable in real life as it is in on screen interpretation.
Along the way, there are moments of severe harsh language and some randomly lingering, decidedly non-sexual nudity which is there to make a point, but still went beyond my own personal preferences in general. Yet, overall, it didn’t take away from the greater potency of the film’s intended messages about how we’re so often completely blinded by our infatuations for other people before we’ve really gotten to know them first, tempted to just dive headlong into more than we should, and perhaps even automatically believe they are that “perfect, flawless” person. Sadly, it is often this way in so many stories we’ve heard about women getting so enamored with a man only to end up in a less than healthy connection which, once it becomes physically and/or verbally abusive, cannot seem to find a way out, even if it’s been offered or right in front of them because of the “love” and “commitment” they feels towards their abuser, as is quite deftly pictured in this film, keeping the viewer on the hook the entire time, guessing how exactly IS this going to end up for Victoria? At least with this effort, there’s some fun and goofy humor that proceeds the heavier concepts enacted, and the finale is one which is executed with astute, clever, and compelling effectiveness.
Hettinger really brings to bear an engaging personality with sharp wit, humorous cynicism, and the look of a blonde Allison Janney paired with an innocent hopefulness and the smile of Sandra Bullock when enacting the character of Victoria, a driven, fast talking, independent, confident yet somewhat flailing New York woman who’s only looking to achieve the level of life success she firmly believes she deserves, even if the means by which she’s currently going about it might not quite be the best use of her abilities. Living meagerly as well, Victoria’s world is rocked to the core when she has the opportunity to meet and interview an idol in ski jumper Max Bauer, whom she falls for immediately, charmed by his smooth, witty, albeit rather childish talk, flirtatious manner, and rugged good looks. As the two begin their courtship, it’s the “honeymoon phase” full out at the beginning. However, the more she gets serious, the more Max’s real persona begins to shine forth, leading to a myriad of hurtful events which shake up Victoria, despite the warnings her friends had been starting to give her. Stuck in the sudden destruction of everything she thought she trusted about Max and even herself, it causes her to realize that it’s either further torment or escape, and what ramifications each choice might bring. Throughout, Hettinger is wonderfully pleasant to watch, as she so deeply embodies both the best and worst of the character’s experiences with a beautiful believability that captures your attention and holds it.
Beckett is all riotously over-the-top bravado and machismo with the look of Jason Statham in his portrayal of Victoria’s object of desire Max Bauer, a former world champion and Olympic medal-winning ski jumper whom is certainly in love with himself and his faded fame and glory. Taking full advantage of any time in the spotlight someone will give him, he agrees to be a guest on Victoria’s podcast and wastes no time exploiting it to the fullest, including wooing the host, who falls for his outward “act” hook, line, and sinker. Once inserted fully into her life, Max’s attitudes, at first eccentrically offbeat yet totally in synch with the pair’s “fairytale” world and life plans they wish to initiate, begin to escalate into more frantically self-destructive forms, which only end up being taken out on her, even as she tries her best to bring him out of his fits of anger and alcohol. Refusing to see at all how he is in the wrong, Max’s self-absorbed tendencies continue to make every facet of Victoria’s existence run the gamut of turmoil and fractured thinking, all in his mind an ok means of which to treat her. As it all comes to a head, Max finds himself on the edge of a precipice he may not be able to come back from, which could mean losing Victoria, forcing him to make her stay against her will, or getting kicked out. How it will all conclude for him is quite an smack-in-the-face, and a wake-up call for the greater themes being displayed, all of which Beckett totally plays to the hilt with poise and intensity to match.
Primary supporting turns are present from D’Souza as Victoria’s podcast cameraman Enzo, a true and caring friend to Victoria who only wants what’s best for her, wants her success to be realized, and who emphatically warns her about Max as things spiral, Craig as Enzo’s girlfriend and Victoria’s gofer Blanche who has the same overall desire to assist Victoria in her endeavors while seeking out her own solace and life contentment with Enzo, Martin Ewens as Lando Cox, a music producer who’s involved with Victoria’s friend and neighbor Rhoda, Jillie Simon as Rhoda, the aforementioned friend, neighbor, and aspiring artist who gets her nose into things a lot more than she should when it comes to Victoria and Max, and Lenore Loveman as Victoria’s mother Marta, who also does more than her level best to keep her beloved daughter on the straight and narrow. Additional supporting efforts are presented by Stormi Maya, Gary Napoli, Tracilyn Jones, Robert Cunniff, Bello Pizzimenti, Stuart Gardiner, Paul Cardile, Joseph Senra, Julia Register, Michael Whitaker, and a key appearance by Michael Dale. In total, “Prince Harming”, as indicated earlier above, is an essential film with inescapably pertinent substance and implications that ideally will spur us forward to realize the importance of addressing the real issues that surround domestic abuse and, at minimum, get the word out to the world and even to ourselves that sometimes, we really need to be willing to look beyond just what we wish to see to the core truth lying beneath the calm in order to help avoid and prevent abuse in all its forms.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
Very well written, in-depth review of the movie Prince Harming which I had the pleasure to view at the Big Apple Women’s Film Festival!
Congratulations Marianne. Great review. Thought film really captured the suffering of verbal abuse and being trapped. Had pleasure of a supporting role in film as well as going to it’s world premiere at BAFF.
Thank you, Gary, great to have you acting in my film and thank you, Kirk, for this excellent review of my movie! So detailed and intelligently written. I wish all critics were like you!;-)