Well, the Oscars have come and gone, confusing and disappointing basically everyone along the way. Now it’s time to regroup, refocus, and move forward…and, by “moving forward”, naturally I mean taking a look at one of the under-the-radar gems of 2020. Herself is an engaging and powerful story about the hard work of rebuilding as a victim of spousal abuse and what it means to overcome adversity.
Clare Dunne came up with the story, wrote the screenplay with Malcolm Campbell, and starred as the lead in this story of an abuse survivor trying to make a new life for her and her two daughters.
“Mama Mia!” and “The Iron Lady” director Phyllida Lloyd were at the helm for this project so the story was in the capable hands of someone with confidence and experience in portraying strong female leads. There’s more connective tissue between the abuse itself and the trauma that’s left its wake in this story. It’s an important distinction to make as the long-term consequences of abuse goes much deeper than the physical. Lloyd made sure not to let the audience forget it, mixing in some subtle and not-so-subtle techniques to keep that present.
This was the first produced film that Dunne has written and that relationship to the material pours out of her on-screen as Sandra. Gripped by fear and struggling to move forward in a system that’s bogged down by bureaucracy, she’s great at wearing the pressure of someone who’s barely keeping a lid on it all. She has a fiery court scene where the emotion all comes pouring out, but it’s Dunne’s stoicism in the lead-up which makes that court scene so powerful. It was, without question, one of the best performances of 2020.
Harriet Walter, Conleth Hill, and Ian Llyod Anderson fill in the gaps with strong supporting performances that balance the different elements of the lead, and Molly McCann and Ruby Rose O’Hara are excellent as Sandra’s two daughters who are dealing without the fallout of their father’s abuse as well. It was a well-built cast Louise Kiely and it all came together with great effect.
While this film undoubtedly is about abuse and trauma, it’s also about more than just that. This is the story of a woman who’s literally rebuilding her life from the ground up. In the process of doing that, she finds out who she really is and builds meaningful, personal relationships as well. More than it is solely for her, Sandra’s efforts serve as a strong example for her two girls that saw their mom at her lowest. It’s a beautiful film and one of the “Best of the Rest” from 2020 that didn’t get any love during awards season.
Recommendation: See it for Claire Dunne’s wonderful performance and the message of perseverance and empowerment.