Bye Bye Blondie

Bye Bye Blondie isn’t awful by any means. But it’s also not good enough for me to call it good.

The film follows two women in two different time periods. In the present, Gloria and her old lover, Frances reconnect. The publicly famous and rich Frances is somewhat at odds with Gloria’s lower cost and chaotic lifestyle. These differences grow increasingly apparent once Gloria moves in with Frances. In flashbacks to 20 years earlier, we see the origin of Frances and Gloria’s relationship. Initially meeting in the psych ward, Gloria is an emotional, violent punk. Frances is comparatively, a good girl. Here again, these differences put a strain on their relationship.

I think one of the biggest problems with Bye Bye Blondie is these two different time periods. For starters, this movie is less than 90 minutes. So essentially telling two different stories saps both of them of the ability to have a deeper and more complete arc. Moreover, the issue is that I just described the time periods as two different stories. They are about the same two women, after all. But the connection between the time periods lacks somehow. That’s despite the fact that the same issues in their relationship are present across both decades. Additionally, the film is structured in such a way where development in the flashbacks substitutes development in the present. Gloria and Frances deepening their relationship and moving in together in the present is off-screen. In its place is their exploits 20 years ago which I guess is supposed to a substitute.

As a more personal pet peeve, I think the flashbacks have awful styling. Especially Gloria. Gloria is supposed to be a punk. Presumably, a late 80’s/early 90’s punk. This doesn’t come across at all. Overall, there’s almost no stylistic differences in the flashbacks. Everyone in them looks right out of the 2010’s. But especially Gloria. Not only is her punk nature minimal, but it takes so many cues from mall goth and scene culture of the late 2000s. The extreme and DIY elements of early punk aren’t there at all. When her therapist asks her why she would choose to make herself ugly with her hair and makeup, I was just confused. None of Gloria’s look is particularly shocking. She’s just got black hair and wears eyeliner.

Damn, I think that’s actually all I have to say about the movie. The structure of both present and flashbacks made both time periods feel shallowly developed. And I’m angry at what this movie thinks a 90s punk is. There’s a deeper analysis of this movie to be made. But not by me, apparently. Bye Bye Blondie had an interesting idea. But I think the execution of that idea was flawed and pretty surface-level. And I’m going to go ahead and blame my lack of thoughts on that said surface-level execution as opposed to the failings of my own brain.

Overall rating: 4.6/10

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