

Title: The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby

MPAA Rating: R

Director: Ned Benson

Starring: Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, Bill Hader

Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins



What It Is: Eleanor Rigby (Chastain) is an ill-named woman with an unfortunate story. Something tragic has happened and seperated her from her husband Conor (McAvoy). As she moves back in with her mother and father (Hurt and Isabelle Huppert) to collect the fragments of her life. It is during this time that Conor’s is falling to bits as his restaurant is failing much in the way his marriage is. Can Conor and Eleanor ever find one and other again or are they done for good?

What We Think: Featuring truly heartbreaking performances from it’s leads and a bold premise director Ned Benson really puts his characters on the line and in the muck to varying degrees of success. The ending is ambiguous but frustratingly so. Jessica Chastain continues to impress with her third enjoyable performances this last year (Interstellar, A Most Violent Year). Likewise her costar James McAvoy gives his third great perforamance of the last 365 days alongside Filth and X-Men: Days of Future Past. One thing Ned Benson took advantage of was this stellar cast. Bill Hader is great as Conor’s best friend (and chef of his restaurant), Viola Davis, and as you can see from the above written William Hurt and Isabelle Huppert.

Our Grade: B, A very understated film from 2014 that I don’t think enough people saw. This is one that you should check out simply for it’s performances which are good enough to carry it. Some may find the characters really unlikable people, but they are at least very fleshed out and interesting. This is one to catch, and the best part is that it is available now on DVD, BluRay and VOD, so definitely check this one out.