There are almost too many words in the English language for me to be able to effectively describe Please Baby Please. It’s this year’s most cinematic grab bag. One minute, you might pull out a sharp-tongued dialogue sequence harkening back to classic noir. In another, you’re watching star Andrea Riseborough gyrate to sultry jazz in a dream sequence. In another, a drag queen recounts her past life dressed to the nines in a surprisingly well-lit telephone booth. Amanda Kramer’s wildly imaginative vision is about as fluid and unpredictable as the sexuality and gender its questioning.
Set in a neon-infused version of the 1950s, our story begins with a beatnik couple, Suze and Arthur (Andrea Riseborough and Harry Melling). Before we can learn anything about them, they encounter a seductive street gang on the way back to their apartment–think West Side Story by way of BDSM. It’s hard to tell what’s more dangerous about them–their sexual freedom or the literal weapons they’re holding. Either way, it’s enough to cause a stir that forces the couple to question each other’s gender roles. Suze wishes Arthur would be more of a dominant figure in their relationship, which he refuses to do as a sensitive, tortured artist.
From this point on, the two are sent on conflicting journeys as they defy society’s norms and discover new sides of their gender/sexual identity. Suze begins to infiltrate the gang, longing for a rougher and tougher exterior as she embraces a violent hypermasculinity. Arthur, who has fallen for one of the gang members (Karl Glusman), gets in touch with his sexuality and femininity. Can their marriage survive this kind of a shift?
Riseborough and Melling are a beautiful odd couple, each providing wildly different energies for the film’s already delicious melting pot. Riseborough is the more explosive of the two, channeling an aggressive physicality that makes this one of her most unique, inspired performances. Fully committing to the film’s witty period language and sensual musicality, she commands the screen. Melling, on the other end of the spectrum, plays to his strengths; his drama feels more insular, put to words with a Shakespearean quality that fits the English actor like a glove.
Melling is put opposite Glusman in several romantic scenes. Glusman, who is no stranger to deeply atmospheric direction (Nocturnal Animals, The Neon Demon), excels; he strides in Ashley Heathcock’s bold costume design, decked out in a studded leather jacket and even a fishnet or two. In addition, Demi Moore, though only featured in a scene or two, gives a scene-stealing supporting turn as a glamorous trophy wife who knows more than she lets on.
Despite the memorable ensemble cast, Please Baby Please’s technicals are an entire character in and of themselves. Built across numerous colorful sets and cast in smoky shades of bi lighting, Kramer and her entire creative team have designed a world that is entirely their own. There are far too many names to mention each individual’s contributions, but every detail, from the obvious to the obscure, immerses the audience in Kramer’s send-up of 50s and 60s noir. Set against Bryan Scary and Guilio Carmassi’s big band arrangements, it’s a creative explosion to behold, especially for genre fans.
Though the film is wonderfully campy, it can be just as obtuse. Dialogue is layered in equal parts esoteric observations and pithy noir lingo. Choreographed dream sequences are especially abstract yet are as much a scene in the film’s events as any plot progression. It can be difficult to fully internalize Kramer’s themes on a first viewing, especially for anyone who is only dipping their toes into non-binary media. However, the more you sit with it, the more it clicks. A blast from the past that is still gleefully forward-thinking, Please Baby Please is the most singular cinematic experience you’ll have all year.
Please Baby Please had its New York Premiere in the Narrative section at NewFest 2022. The film is now playing in select theaters, and it is available to buy or rent on all VOD platforms courtesy of Music Box Films.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IutqDKERXU]
It’s all shrouded in deep abstraction and aloof mystery, but those on Kramer’s wavelength will find a thoroughly entertaining and sexually provocative genre piece with a striking ensemble of performances.
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Larry Fried is a filmmaker, writer, and podcaster based in New Jersey. He is the host and creator of the podcast “My Favorite Movie is…,” a podcast dedicated to helping filmmakers make somebody’s next favorite movie. He is also the Visual Content Manager for Special Olympics New Jersey, an organization dedicated to competition and training opportunities for athletes with intellectual disabilities across the Garden State.
