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‘Winner’ Review: Emilia Jones Reteams With ‘Cat Person’ Director for Another Uncomfortable Seriocomedy
Susanna Fogel returns to Sundance with a deep-dive look into what compelled Reality Winner to leak proof of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
It’s not a typical whistleblower movie, like “The Insider” or “Official Secrets” (both excellent), but more of a prickly character portrait, imbued with humor and a headstrong sense of defiance (courtesy of screenwriter Kerry Howley, channeling Winner’s voice). Last year, Tina Satter’s superb experimental indie “Reality” stuck to the facts of her crime, relying on the official transcript of her interrogation by FBI agents as its screenplay (the brilliance of Sydney Sweeney’s performance is all in the subtext). Credit also goes to Jones, obviously, who takes a character who’s abrasive and intense, who pushes away loved ones and rushes toward conflict, and emphasizes the aspects that we can find relatable … but also Reality’s neurodiverse way of approaching the world: She tough on others, but even more on herself — as represented by the push-ups, jogging and endless physical training.
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