Kajillionaire (2020) Review

Miranda July’s Kajillionaire is a great slice-of-life film focusing on Old Dolio, played by Evan Rachel Wood, realizing through a series of events that her entire life may have been one big con job.

Everybody’s performance is great, even Wood’s awkward low-tone voice. If you’re a fan of slice-of-life, character-driven stories with a low budget and a creative script, then you’ll love this film.

Rating: 7.7/10

Hear the full review on Movie Reviews #208 here.

SPOILERS BELOW

While there are some great parts, I’m not the biggest fan of the ending. Gina Rodriguez is one of my favorite characters and much better than her previous films, but my biggest issue is the end when you find out they’ve just been robbed. I was underwhelmed with Rodriguez’s reaction. Her abrupt laughter after soaking in her empty apartment felt predictable. I wanted more. I wanted her to get angry, not that her place was just ransacked, angry that Old Dolio is not outraged. I understand that wasn’t the point, that they were able to use the anger I wanted to visually see as their courage to return all the birthday gifts to reveal how much the parents spent on her.

There’s a great scene with Dina Maria Riva where Old Dolio opens up about her upbringing and Riva’s character is able to pick up what Old Dolio is putting down. It’s a powerful scene where Riva’s character was professional and considerate when realizing Old Dolio isn’t a mother, but a rejected child who has never been truly loved by anyone.

Miranda July does a great job keeping the viewer engaged and entertained throughout her film with a lot of great character moments but the finale feels like a forced blissful ending.