The film Tuesday addresses, among other themes, those of the mourning of a child, the denial of reality and depression. Knowing this, this first feature film by Daina O. Pusić could have turned out to be a heavy or tearful drama. However, it is not. Not that Tuesday or a comedy strictly speaking. In fact, it is an unclassifiable film and that is one of its many qualities. We are in the presence of a fanciful, singular and moving proposition, about a woman who refuses the inevitability of the imminent death of her only daughter. This, while Death takes up residence, in the form of a… parrot.
It goes without saying, Tuesday, named after the teenage girl who is dying of a mysterious illness, is bathed in magical realism. This approach can be daunting, because it lends itself to ridicule when poorly modulated. In this regard, if she lets out a few false notes here and there, the screenwriter and director maintains, overall, an impressive organicity and homogeneity in the context.
Because Tuesday is a fundamentally original work, in line with the catalog of the production house A24, which does not fear risk, and to which we owe in particular The Witch (The witch), Everything Everywhere All at Once (Everything, everywhere, all at once), Pearl, Dream Scenario (Dream scenario), Beau Is Afraid (Beau is scared), Past Lives… In short, unusual and out of the ordinary films, such as this one.
The filmmaker alternates the points of view of Zora (the star of VeepJulia Louis-Dreyfus, against the job, and exceptional), a woman whose teenage daughter is suffering from an incurable illness, and that of the latter, Tuesday, confined to her home.
While a nurse watches over her child, Zora escapes — literally — from reality by supposedly going to work.
Unpredictable and crazy
When the fateful hour comes, it is not the traditional Reaper who comes to Tuesday’s bedside, but a parrot capable of changing dimensions at will. Aware that her mother is not yet ready to let her go, Tuesday, who is relatively serene, wins the creature’s sympathy…
The sequel sees mother and daughter doing the difficult work of grieving each other, but in a completely unpredictable and crazy way. Certainly, Daina O. Pusić’s ideas sometimes appear bizarre, but as the filmmaker remains in control of the cinematic universe she has created, it works.
The actresses, who always find the right note, and the numerous touches of visual poetry, also help to tie everything together. Same moreover for the discreetly ethereal light, as if the beyond was not far away — excellent photo direction by Alexis Zabé (Silent light, The Florida Project). The result, as disconcerting as it is, is quite irresistible. And poignant.