‘The Drama’ (1h45m), directed by Kristoffer Borgli
I thought Zendaya was a singer – she is – but she can also act, much to my astonishment. As one half of a Manhattan golden couple in the run-up to their – of course – picture-perfect wedding day, she plays Emma to Robert Pattinson’s Charlie, two beautiful young people with money, talent and looks, about to tie the knot. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, quite a lot actually. As they wade their way through their wedding admin – writing speeches, organising wine tastings, rehearsal dinners and so on – the chance to have a drunken night off with two of their best friends, Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Rachel (Alana Haim), seems irresistible. At dinner after lashings of wine, the fab four decide to “fess up” to the worst things each of them has ever done. So far, so pedestrian – a bit of cyberbullying in school, a dash of cruelty and cowardice – but when it comes to Emma’s turn she shares something so profoundly disturbing that it not only silences the entire table but the audience, too. Someone on screen asks: “Is she serious?” before Emma throws up, underlining the point that, yes, she is serious, very serious.
