This movie is no ordinary romance with its intriguing development history, it is actually two different movies combined into one. Ned Benson’s directorial debut focused on the two lovers in their own films, titled Him and Her (not to be confused with the 2013 film of the same name) and their perspectives on their personal issues and relationships. This version is Them, which combines the two projects into one, cutting content to intersect them both. With that in mind, does The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby make for a stellar directorial debut, or should Benson have thrown away all three scripts?
Alternating between the past and present, the plot focuses on the couple of Connor and Eleanor (whose name was inspired by a Beatles song), as they struggle with their marriage following a tragedy in their family, when Eleanor attempts suicide. Following the incident, Eleanor decides to live with her parents and return to college while Connor struggles to operate a restaurant while dealing with the disappearance of his wife. It is primarily a character driven film with each side having their own supporting cast, Eleanor has her parents and an empathetic professor while Connor has his dad and his co-worker.
It isn’t groundbreaking in terms of writing, but it is a good examination of characters and relationships. Some scenes dragged on and I felt the two characters were imbalanced, and I felt the scenes with Eleanor surpassed Connor’s, thanks to her supporting cast. As ambitious and experimental as the project sounds, it feels like there could have been different scenes from the two separate movies in order to make it flow better, rather than have some go on a little too long. While it’s fair to judge the movie for what it is, it is frustrating to think that other scenes that could improve the film exist but weren’t included.
Thankfully, any issue with the script is made up by the actors. I’ve always been a fan of James McAvoy, and I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves. As usual he gives a great, dramatic performance here even if his side of the story was not the better one. Jessica Chastain also brings her talent as Eleanor. I’m used to her harsher performances in Zero Dark Thirty and Interstellar, so it’s nice to see she can play a vulnerable character.
The Disappearance of Eleaor Rigby is a decent exam mination of relationships and the character of the main leads with charming actors, but the script felt a little imbalanced. The fact that two movies were centered around the leads shows how much potential Hollywood artists have for exploring characters, and I’m not sure how I would’ve felt if I saw Him or Her instead. It’s a good debut for Ned Benson and a nice watch for those who want to see a romance movie that doesn’t need sadomasochist sex scenes for success.
-Brady Lass