The Midnight Review

I took a few days’ hiatus during my work week, but I’m back and you can expect a few more reviews soon! I’ve decided to start with the movie that is most clear in my mind, The Door (2012), which I watched tonight.

I’m actually struggling with where to start my review, because this movie was less about a story and more a portrait of a woman named Emerenc (Helen Mirren) and her friendship with her employer, Magda (Martina Gedeck.)

The Door takes place in 1960s Budapest, and is a Hungarian film shot in English, which ultimately seemed a bit jarring. I think much of the cast and the writer would have benefitted from shooting in Hungarian, and the dialogue would have felt less stilted and forced. The exception to this, I think, was Mirren, who brought a blunt but matronly feel to each of her lines and used the harshness of dialogue to enhance her character, for Emerenc is a no-nonsense woman who doesn’t mince words.

While outwardly harsh, Emerenc shows a kind of kindness and loyalty and as a result is much loved by her community and by animals despite her many quirks — the biggest here being that she will never, under any circumstances, open the door to her home to anyone. None of her neighbors have ever seen inside, and they gossip about the secrets she surely must be hiding.

Magda, a wealthy novelist, employs Emerenc as a housekeeper so she can focus on her writing while her husband works. There is shown a very stark difference in class between the two female leads and it leads to Magda beginning a journey of self reflection but also, becoming increasingly nosier about Emerenc’s past and current life.

Very little is fleshed out about Magda; and this is another large flaw of the film. We are left guessing at the nature of her relationship with her husband, about her past and her interests, and about how she became an award winning novelist in 1960s Hungary. Emerenc, however, is given many flashbacks as Magda digs into her life. The flashbacks, perhaps intentionally, have a very unreal and dreamlike quality, but in my opinion this actually took away from any relatable emotion as watching Mirren recant her memories would have been more profound than watching a child run through a thunderstorm in a scene akin to a bad horror movie.

One thing I did love about Gedeck’s portrayal of Magda is that she seemed very real despite some awkward dialogue. Very rarely did she get fully glammed up with makeup and extravagant hair, and her facial expressions were always genuine.

Ultimately, I think the storytelling dragged on a little bit too much. I became less emotionally invested the more I knew about Emerenc, which I feel is the opposite of the intended effect. Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but be irritated with Magda and her busybody nosiness.

There was a strange lack of emotion when Emerenc opened her door and let Magda into her home the first and only time. I won’t give away her reason, but I was mildly surprised and underwhelmed. In this case, I think this effect was intentional because Magda and the neighbors had really made a very straightforward woman out to be a lot more mysterious than she was.

I’m struggling with a rating, however I think I’m going to go with 4/10 stars.

I think were this story told a bit differently, it would have been a tearjerker and a brilliant piece exploring two women’s friendship but The Door just lacked a crucial element.

Have you watched it? Leave a comment with your thoughts.