By Lauren Hunter (she/her)
Taking a road trip through the searing heat of New Mexico, not knowing what you’re doing or where you’re headed in life is bound to make you bear your soul. That’s certainly what happens in Bleeding Love.
Starring Ewan McGregor and his real-life daughter Clara McGregor (playing, believe it or not, a father and daughter), the film focuses on a young woman whose life has gone off the rails, as her until recently estranged father tries to get her back on track. It’s a visceral story of addiction, family trauma, relationships, and healing.
There seems to be a lot riding on this, especially with the A-List strings attached. Arguably, however, the film has relied a little too heavily on its guaranteed audience draw, because unfortunately Ewan McGregor gives the flattest performance out of the small ensemble cast and is far outshone by his daughter, who also happens to have written the script. It’s not helped by the fact that they’ve done virtually nothing to make him look anything less than his Hollywood status – and because he speaks in his native Scottish accent (while his daughter has the full-blown Californian drawl), it makes it very hard as an audience member to get around him and actually believe his character.
Nonetheless, the film has its moments of brilliance. One scene involving a cultured passerby who helps the young woman with an unfortunately located spider bite is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, but therein also lies the problem. These cameo-like appearances from minor characters along the way consistently steal the show with their comedic sharpness from the main protagonists who are still valiantly trying to brood in moody drama throughout.
As a result, the film loses itself and doesn’t really know what it’s doing tonally. It probably sounds a bit flippant to want more comedy out of what is meant to be a gripping and emotional tale, but ultimately it begs the question as to why they have placed such great moments in there when they were never the film’s full intent.
Clara McGregor manages still to give a solid performance in spite of her writing; she definitely has talent within her own capacity. It’s just a shame that you’re left wondering whether the role of her dad would have been better played by someone other than… her own dad.