AFTERNOON DELIGHT: Synopsis
A provocative comedy about sex, marriage and finding yourself again, AFTERNOON DELIGHT follows Rachel, a quick witted yet tightly coiled thirty-something bored with her daily routine of preschool auctions and a lackluster sex life, and career that has gone kaput. Looking to spice up her marriage, Rachel takes her husband, Jeff, to a strip club and meets McKenna, a stripper she becomes obsessed with saving. Rachel adopts McKenna as her live-in nanny, wreaking havoc on her friends, family and herself.
Afternoon Delight is about being in a rut. A monotonous, unexciting rut, perhaps familiar to some experiencing modern day married life. Rachel (Kathryn Hahn, Stepbrothers, Anchorman, Parks and Recreation) has no real problems in life, a good husband, Jeff (Josh Radnor, How I Met Your Mother), successful career and a beautiful home. A happy setup punctuated by the demands of parenthood, boring routines and a non-existent sex life, issues conveyed intermittently to her therapist (Jane Lynch, Glee, The 40 Year Old Virgin) throughout the movie. At the suggestion of a friend, Rachel arranges a visit to a strip club with her husband to spice up their love life. She receives a personal lap-dance from a young blonde named McKenna (Juno Temple) and afterwards finds herself unable to shake the memory. Seeking her out a few days later, she finds McKenna to suddenly be without a home. Rachel takes her under her wing, gives her a place to stay and a new role as her nanny, hoping to help her turn her life away from the stripper lifestyle.
The premise sounds like it could be the start of a pretty entertaining comedy but thankfully this film goes down a deeper and more reflective path. It soon becomes apparent that McKenna is a recovering alcoholic and also a sex worker, a practice she continues even in her new setup. Rachel continues to try, on the surface at least, to rehabilitate McKenna. But with her life not satisfying her, she begins to live vicariously through McKenna’s behavior. This new spirit of adventure and dalliance into new areas of sexuality soon collides with her domestic life and the fallout forces her to confront her issues.
It is unclear what Jill Soloway is trying to say with her cinematic debut. Her writer/producing work on shows such as Six Feet Under and The United States of Tara is impressive but there is a lack of clarity with the plot itself being a somewhat contrived affair. As stated earlier, this could be the setup for an Apatow or Sandler driven comedy vehicle (I use that description in the loosest sense when referring to Sandler). Initially it seems set out to present some of the harsh truths about marriage and parenting. But as more layers are added it becomes less clear what Rachel is seeking, both in her own life or from McKenna. The film handles its tonal shifts well, effectively blending the comedy and the drama. But it lacks cohesion, with Rachel’s arc lacking real development. It feels like the film is set up to take some dramatic turn or shift up a gear and it instead coasts towards the end. It seems like no significant change has been made, merely acceptance, and that leaves the film lacking any sort of real closure. Rachel’s journey is as much about avoidance as it is about exploration, in a sense the end of the film is perhaps the beginning of her real arc, facing up to the issues in her marriage.
There is a natural interplay between the cast; a sense of realness in how they interact and behave with each other. The supporting cast contains a few familiar faces but the focus really is on Rachel and McKenna. Kathryn Hahn is always a standout when on screen, usually in a comedic role, and it is refreshing and impressive to see her show off some dramatic range here. She delivers her quips and barbs with the usual flair but has scenes that show great emotional depth. There is a scene towards the end that delivers a serious gut-punch as her past finally overwhelms her. Hopefully we’ll see more dramatic roles from her in the future. Radnor is fine, if forgettable, as Jeff. Thankfully he’s not as grating as his character on How I Met Your Mother. And while Juno Temple turns in a somewhat ethereal performance as McKenna, she is never really fleshed out, instead serving as a MacGuffin to propel Rachel on her journey. In fact her final lines in the film are cold, harsh and hint at no change in her at all. It could actually be argued that spending time in a family unit has left her worse off.
The disc itself is pretty basic with some deleted scenes, featurettes and a trailer. A very enjoyable audio commentary with writer/director Jill Soloway and Kathryn Hahn is a highlight though. The transfer is good and overall presented with little fuss which is a nice change from overly elaborate presentations. The Blu-Ray also comes with a DVD version which is useful for some.
Afternoon Delight is an intriguing film. It suggests much future potential for its writer/director Jill Soloway and reveals a greater depth to the talents of Kathryn Hahn, but on its own it comes across a little raw and underdeveloped. There is much to enjoy and appreciate but as a cohesive piece it ultimately doesn’t really come together. Overall, the message in the film is one of facing up to and fixing your own problems rather than avoiding them and focusing on others. That and to never take a stripper home with you.
From the Press Release:
Winner Of Best Director At Sundance 2013, Katherine Hahn, Juno Temple, Josh Radnor And Jane Lynch Star In Witty Comedy Arriving On Blu-ray And DVD February 18 from Cinedigm.
Featuring an all-star cast headlined by Kathryn Hahn (Step Brothers, We’re the Millers), the “completely delightful” (Vanity Fair) independent comedy, Afternoon Delight, makes its home entertainment debut on Blu-ray (plus DVD combo pack) and DVD February 11 from Cinedigm. The critically acclaimed, “meticulously acted movie” (New York Times) also stars Juno Temple (Killer Joe, The Dark Knight Rises), Josh Radnor (“How I Met Your Mother,” Liberal Arts) and Jane Lynch (“Glee”). Written and directed by three-time Emmy® nominee Jill Soloway (“Six Feet Under,” “United Stats Of Tara”), the provocative and hilarious film garnered the “Best Director” award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
“A pitch-perfect study of love and family in the Peter Pan Generation” (Spin), Afternoon Delight follows Rachel (Hahn), a depressed thirty-something in a sexless marriage, who find an unexpected friendship in an unlikely place. During a night out with her husband Jeff (Radnor), she meets McKenna, a stripper down on her luck. After encountering her again soon afterwards, Rachel invites McKenna to become the family’s live-in nanny in the hopes of helping her get back on her feet, and soon finds that McKenna’s influence makes waves throughout her life.
Celebrated by critics, Afternoon Delight features an “absolutely spectacular and amazing” performance by Hahn (Vanity Fair) and Temple in “her wiliest acting yet” (Entertainment Weekly).
BLU-RAY/DVD Details: Extras: Audio commentary with Director Jill Soloway and Kathryn Hahn; Deleted scenes’ Behind-the-scenes featurettes;theatrical trailer. Price: $34.95 (Blu & DVD)/$29.95 (DVD) Street date: February 11th 2014 Language: English Feature running time: ~95 minutes
Rating: R for strong sometimes graphic sexual content, language and some drug use.
