Film Review – Eleanor the Great (2025)

      Eleanor the Great, 2025.

      Directed by Scarlett Johansson.

      Featuring June Squibb, Erin Kellyman, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Jessica Hecht, Rita Zohar, Will Price, Cole Tristan Murphy, Stephen Singer, Jacob Flekier, Kathryn Mayer, Zach Fike Hodges, Jenna Kray, Lauren Klein, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Elaine Bromka, Tristan Murphy, and Stephen C. Bradbury.

      SYNOPSIS:

      Following a significant loss, sharp-witted and delightfully troublesome 94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein shares a story that surprisingly takes on a life of its own. In director Scarlett Johansson's debut feature, Eleanor the Great, the titular character, portrayed by June Squibb, is compelled to move in with her daughter Lisa (Jessica Hecht) and college-aged grandson Max (Will Price), who encourage her to set aside her pride and consider a retirement home. Eleanor would prefer to spend a day at Coney Island with her daughter or cook dinner with her grandson, but both are too wrapped up in their own lives. When dinner plans with Max fall through, Eleanor makes a significant error, which the film attempts to frame as ultimately well-intentioned, albeit with a sugary tone that even Squibb's impressive comedic and emotional talents can't fully surmount.

      Eleanor decides to contact aspiring journalist Nina (Erin Kellyman), whom she met at a Holocaust survivors’ support group, to fabricate a story about surviving the Holocaust. Yes, this is the premise of the film. Surprisingly, it is approached earnestly as a heartfelt drama about sorrow and unexpected friendship. To be fair, Eleanor's narrative isn't a total fabrication; she draws upon the life events of her late best friend Bessie (Rita Zohar, featured in flashbacks and a prologue) to provide Nina with material for a compelling article, to alleviate her loneliness, and perhaps to gain insight into her friend's experiences. The film also introduces unnecessary dynamics, such as Nina's father (Chiwetel Ejiofor) being Bessie's favorite news anchor. Meanwhile, Nina sets aside her poetry to explore journalism, particularly focusing on grief as a means of processing and moving on from her mother's tragic loss. Her father remains silent about this loss and disapproves of her poetic aspirations since he believes they cannot lead to a sustainable career.

      As anticipated, June Squibb excels at delivering clever dialogue (humorously stating that Lisa would likely place Eleanor in Guantánamo Bay if there were available space) and forms a warm connection with Nina despite the deception. Their growing friendship feels genuine and sweet, almost compensating for the flawed storytelling approach.

      Eleanor the Great falters in its overly sentimental tone, which should instead embrace the absurdity of the premise rather than succumbing to excessive sentimentality and predictable story developments. This film ought to highlight the dark humor in Eleanor's attempts to maintain the deception while recognizing the extreme nature of her lie (for instance, pretending that a hospital wing was named after her common last name just to attract attention for Bessie).

      More troubling is the film’s tendency to let this outrageous deception off the hook, with characters asserting that the intentions behind a lie are what truly counts, suggesting that both Eleanor and Nina sought connection amid their isolation, without anyone to share their issues with. There’s also an argument to be made that a more genuine and emotionally resonant story could be told by having Eleanor openly admit that her presence in a Holocaust survivors’ support group was accidental while being best friends with a survivor.

      Eleanor the Great is worth viewing solely for its absurdity and morbid intrigue, captivating audiences with disbelief, yet it fails to offer anything substantial or nuanced regarding its characters and their circumstances, resorting to cheesy and unearned emotional manipulation.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder