Eleanor The Great

Cert - 12

Run-time - 1 hour 38 minutes

Director - Scarlett Johansson

After the passing of her Holocaust survivor friend (Rita Zohar), 94-year-old Eleanor (June Squibb) moves to New York, finding attention and friendship by telling Bessie's story as her own.

In the Dear Evan Hansen-esque journey that 94-year-old Eleanor (June Squibb) embarks on somehow a thick air of dislike isn't formed around her. While screenwriter Tory Kamen, director Scarlett Johansson (in her debut behind the camera) and star Squibb can't quite bring a full sense of forgiveness to her there's certainly a maintained interest and emotional engagement.

After moving from Florida to New York following the passing of her best friend, Holocaust survivor Bessie (Rita Zohar), Eleanor is signed up by her daughter (Jessica Hecht) to a Broadway singing group at the nearby Jewish Community Centre. However, a friendly interaction outside the wrong room leads her into a Holocaust survivor group. There, Eleanor captures the attention of journalism student Nina (Erin Kellyman) when the nonagenarian, raised in Iowa and The Bronx, tells Bessie's story as her own.

As these scenes play out we see Bessie in a flashback finally telling Eleanor of her trauma after waking up one night when reliving it in a dream. These scenes provide an emotionally striking detail that perhaps in some way makes it feel as if Eleanor isn't entirely stealing the story.

However, the real heart of the film is found in Kellyman's performance. Nina is still grieving the loss of her mother six months prior, a death that has led to little conversation between her and her newsreader father, Roger (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Kellyman delivers a strong, emotionally affecting turn that captures the held-in grief her character feels. Often having to excuse herself to cry, we see her grow in personal emotional handling as her friendship with Eleanor grows.

While the lightness of Eleanor going about her life, despite the surroundings, can help the film along it can also cause more sedate moments to appear more recognisable in form. All until the elements of Eleanor's life/ lives start to come together in the build-up to the Bat Mitzvah she's having in secret from her family at the local synagogue.

As mentioned, I may not have found myself for reaching forgiveness for Eleanor; uncertainty was the dominant feeling in a number of key scenes. What keeps interest, including emotionally, is down to the good-natured compassion and hints of fear of loneliness from aging in Squibb's central performance - even if her character is irritatingly patronising to service staff. The relationship she forms with Nina is kind and shows the aforementioned compassion. You genuinely believe the bond between the pair.

Also down to Kellyman's performance which might steal the show, especially in moments where she gets the spotlight, but never distracts from the main character. One who may conflict but doesn't become wholly unlikable. Perhaps because films know when to show the characters dealing with the pain and trauma at the heart of the film's subject, avoiding such a sense of deception.

Three stars