A new film from Matthew Levine and Shea Glasheen; House to Herself follows the day of a young woman, home alone in her father’s house. She makes food, watches television and stares across the lake. The woman, who remains nameless, drifts around the space, never really connecting with anything. House to Herself is in fact strangely absent of both plot and emotion, a choice maintained throughout the film that creates a stylistic separation between the viewer and the protagonist.
The woman invites her boyfriend over to stay the night. As things begin to head in a certain direction, the woman voices some anxieties; this is her first time. The brutality with which the male character (Ben Tiberio) ignores this fact is disturbing. However, it is the film’s unwillingness to comment further on the matter or situate it within a more complex emotional context that is potentially problematic. Furthermore, the film appears to encourage the infantilization of its protagonist, who we see watching childish television and eating ice cream. Ambiguity in these circumstances must be navigated with extreme care, as it isn’t just the infantilization of women at issue here, but as Tavisha Sood notes, the implied ‘sexualisation of girlhood’ that comes with it.[1]
Where House to Herself falls down because of a lack of clear direction and meaning, it is elevated again through the quality of the cinematography. Levine comes into his own here creating an eerie symmetry throughout the film that shares a striking resemblance to the work of Wes Anderson. The distance Levine puts between the camera and the protagonist, who is often carefully positioned in the centre of the screen, is quirky and aesthetically engaging. Another praiseworthy aspect is the performance of Desi Stephens as the woman. Stephens maintains an air of mystery and strange quietude, carrying it in a way that generates intrigue from the viewer.
Although the slight twist at the end does leave us with more questions, it doesn’t quite make up for the previous inactions. Despite this, House to Herself is not without merit – it just requires a little more consideration in regards to its presentation of female characters.
Watch the on Vimeo now!
[1] https://www.theverdictonline.org/post/the-infantilization-of-women-in-mainstream-media-and-society