Sadly, the way that awards season works, it’s always beneficial to premiere a film as late as possible. If you hit the scene with a ton of buzz and acclaim in March, will anyone remember in December? Probably not, with the avalanche of prestige films arriving all fall. Well, it appears that Alex Ross Perry, director of the recent film “Her Smell,” is worried that his film is being forgotten and he particularly wants everyone to remember Elisabeth Moss when nominations are being made.
Perry recently penned an open letter, doing his best to campaign for Moss for possible awards consideration. He says that the lack of budget means that he has to do a more grassroots campaign for his lead actress this awards season. (It should be noted that Moss has already earned one nomination for her work in the film, getting a Best Female Lead nomination at this year’s Independent Spirit Awards.)
The filmmaker said, “I am writing because she gave this astonishing performance in Her Smell, our third film together, and we don’t have the marketing dollars or means to force this back to the forefront of your mind via schmoozy screenings and gifts.”
“Her Smell” debuted at last year’s TIFF but didn’t hit theaters until April 2019. As mentioned, no matter what acclaim your film receives (and “Her Smell” did have some great reviews), it’s just difficult for spring films to compete in November/December, when awards nominations are released. But Perry definitely wants everyone to remember what Moss was able to do in his film.
The filmmaker specifically credits his lead actress for being able to tackle such a unique project, with the film broken up into five separate, extended scenes.
“Watching this process, which was and remains a mystery to me, provided a thrilling revelation every few hours,” he added. “The choices made, both impulsive and meticulous, were present in every footstep, every line reading, every fully-memorized nonsensical tangential rant. And she did it five times, finding five entirely different shades with which to color Becky. She compared it to tracking an entire arc for five seasons of a television character, one after the other, in just four weeks.”
“Her Smell” is available now to own/rent on digital platforms.
You can read the entire open letter below:
To Whom It May Concern:
Why am I writing this letter on behalf of Elisabeth Moss, commonly regarded as one of the finest actresses of our generation? It’s not like people haven’t realized this by now. She has nothing to prove and has an undeniable track record in both television and film.
Well, I am writing because she gave this astonishing performance in Her Smell, our third film together, and we don’t have the marketing dollars or means to force this back to the forefront of your mind via schmoozy screenings and gifts. Maybe you haven’t seen the movie since Toronto or the New York Film Festival, fifteen months ago. Or, perhaps since it’s release in April of this year. And we weren’t released by a company who would send you a bottle of “Becky Something” branded whiskey or comparable tchotchke as a means of soliciting free social media advertising. So, here I am, spending my time trying to put into words how one of our best actresses delivered one of her best performances. I am and will remain proud of the fact that even the most dismissive reviews couldn’t deny the power of this performance.
Lizzie arrived for fittings and band practice on the Thursday before we started shooting, having wrapped Handmaid’s Tale on Tuesday. She had been practicing guitar since buying one four months earlier and reading drafts of the script for over a year. But as we left the soundstage that night, I said, “I’m really curious to finally see what Becky is like.” “Me too,” she said. The unpredictability was what excited me most. We both wanted to fully discover the character for the first time while the camera was rolling.
Then, I got to sit back and watch this force of nature performance take shape one day at a time. Due to the film’s structure of having just five extended scenes, Lizzie needed to create arcs and trajectories typically unseen in films; the kind that only live in theater and after months of rehearsals. We had one day to rehearse each act. She needed to conceptualize and track where Becky would be at in minute 5, 10, 15 and 20. Watching this process, which was and remains a mystery to me, provided a thrilling revelation every few hours. The choices made, both impulsive and meticulous, were present in every footstep, every line reading, every fully-memorized nonsensical tangential rant. And she did it five times, finding five entirely different shades with which to color Becky. She compared it to tracking an entire arc for five seasons of a television character, one after the other, in just four weeks.
I guess I’m just trying to say that I am unspeakably proud to have played any part in willing this performance into existence. Yet still, on my 100th viewing, it feels like magic to me. Lizzie rigorously calibrated this whirlwind of maniacal insanity, sticking to the script while working off impulse and instinct. It wouldn’t be honest of me to pass up an opportunity to give this performance one final cheer from the sidelines and hope that it is seen as the once- in-a-great-while alchemical blend of writing, directing and, most crucially, acting that it is.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and watch the film.
Alex Ross Perry