Short Review: Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)
★★★★
“Desperately Seeking Susan” is a frenetic, scatterbrained, screwball comedy that features a charming journey of self-discovery, a hilarious case of missing identity, two engrossing lead performances, a seriously creepy stalker antagonist, some feminist empowerment undertones, dynamic directing that always serves character, and a dedication to expressing characters’ inner lives through some delightfully imaginative costuming, makeup, and lighting.
I like how it explores the contentious relationship between our past and our future, between the choices we’ve made and the choices we’ll make, between the memories we’ve formed and the memories we’ll form.
Roberta feels trapped in her dead-end suburban life, cooking dinner for her ungrateful, egotistical investor husband. But with amnesia she finds freedom; a freedom which ultimately sticks around even after she’s gotten her memories back and which helps her stand up for herself and form a unique identity. After all, isn’t that what we’re all trying to do?
