Her Smell

The phenomenal, unpredictable and fascinating Elisabeth Moss returns in the latest film by Alex Ross Perry. She looks and raves like a true punk diva - a cross between Courtney Love, Amy Winehouse and Janis Joplin. This is her film, though it includes an all-star line-up, it is Moss who divides and conquers. Her Smell tells the story of Becky Something's tremendous rise and painful fall. She fronts a popular punk band, where punk is in first place and professionalism is last. The bandmates try to keep their heads above water which becomes harder by the day as ever-younger, fresher and more motivated bands knock on the doors of the same managers and recording studios. They feel the breath of competition on their backs while the mood in the band sours as no one manages to keep up with Becky's kaleidoscope moods. With runny mascara and glittering faces, the girls shine, but realize they've hit the beginning of the end. IndieWire's David Ehrlich wrote, More loudly stylized than [Alex Ross Perry's] earlier films, Her Smell is visceral nightmare from the moment; if the script evokes John Cassavetes, the aesthetic seems more inspired by Gaspar Noé. And that's enough incentive to see any film.