Carrie is a young Harvard graduate, healthy and pretty, and she lives in a New York City apartment paid for by her Dad. Despite such advantages, she is crippled by fear and insecurity. Stung by human cruelty and indifference, Carrie has become cynical, defensive and a loner without a job or purpose. Her fastidious nature only digs more holes for herself. Luckily, Carrie's therapist has a plan to get her out of the funk. Despite the straightforward and simple nature of the plan which requires that Carrie merely re-read a favorite book, find a friend, go on a date, get a pet and do something she loved as a child, Carrie balks, struggles and finds snarky ways to cut corners. Though Carrie struggles, the plan begins to work its magic in getting her to engage with the world again. She finds that the source of her pain is also the source of her strength.
The main actor, Bel Powley, is charming and a wonder to watch. The dialogue is sharp and funny. I loved the theme of the story; a good person who is wounded emotionally and struggling with their innate power. In Carrie there is this timeless hero myth retold from a female perspective for a change. It is refreshing. The film is based on a book of the same name. The film gets a little clunky when it relies too heavily on lines. It then has a preordained quality like lemmings going to the sea. Overall, though, it is alluring and clever. Seen at the Miami International Film Festival.
