Bare (film)

Last updated

Bare
Bare Movie Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Natalia Leite
Written byNatalia Leite
Produced by
  • Alexandra Leite
  • Natalia Leite
  • Chad Burris
Starring
CinematographyTobias Datum
Edited byJoe Murphy
Production
companies
  • Purple Milk
  • Indion Entertainment Group
Distributed by IFC Films
Release dates
  • April 19, 2015 (2015-04-19)(Tribeca)
  • October 30, 2015 (2015-10-30)(United States)
Running time
91 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Bare is a 2015 American drama film written and directed by Natalia Leite and produced by Alexandra Roxo, Natalia Leite, and Chad Burris. It stars Dianna Agron, Paz de la Huerta, Chris Zylka, and Louisa Krause. The film follows a young woman living in a small desert town in Nevada, who becomes romantically involved with a female drifter who leads her into a life of drugs, stripping, and psychedelic spiritual experiences. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 19, 2015. [1] IFC Films released it on October 30, 2015, in a limited release and through video on demand. [2]

Contents

Plot

Sarah Barton lives in a small Nevada desert town with her mother and works as a cashier. After a co-worker's complaint causes her to lose her job, she meets Pepper, a drifter who has crashed at an antiques store owned by her family. Intrigued by Pepper, Sarah allows her to stay at the store until she can find a place to live somewhere else. Sarah begins hanging out with Pepper and becomes drawn into Pepper's partying lifestyle, to the annoyance of her boyfriend, Haden, who does not understand why she has so little time for him. Haden offers to get her a job where he works and to let her stay with him, but she declines both offers.

On a trip to Reno, Sarah follows along as Pepper cons a gambler into giving them money to play blackjack. After celebrating their winnings, Pepper reveals that she works at a strip club, called the Blue Room, as a bartender. Sarah initially takes a job at a fast food restaurant but soon tries out for the strip club instead. The strippers laugh when Sarah suggests that Pepper is a bartender. One of the strippers gives Sarah a free sample of an unspecified drug (presumably cocaine), and Sarah goes out on the stage. After Sarah and Pepper ingest peyote in the desert, Pepper admits that stripping is addictive and difficult to stop, as the money is good. The two women promise each other that either will quit if the other does. The two then confess their mutual attraction to each other and have sex for the first time.

Meanwhile, Haden and Sarah's other friends become worried about her, as she has kept her new life secret from them. Sarah breaks up with Haden, telling him that they have gone in separate directions. When the other strippers tell Sarah that Pepper has worked in the past as a recruiter and seduced other women, Sarah becomes worried that she has been used. Pepper first denies everything but admits she has worked in the past as a recruiter; she still denies that she intentionally recruited Sarah or used her. After they reconcile, Sarah insists on paying off Pepper's debts so they can run away together and start over somewhere else.

However, an altercation breaks out at the strip club when a man accuses Pepper of not paying back the full debt. Sarah intercedes on Pepper's behalf, only to panic when she sees Haden and another friend about to enter the club. As she attempts to slip out unnoticed, Haden discovers her and berates her. A cop, drawn by the earlier disturbance, breaks up the scene and arrests Sarah for possession of a controlled substance when she accidentally drops several drugs. Outed as both a stripper and drug-user, Sarah at first attempts to return to her friends but finds them too judgmental. After offering to pay back her mother for bailing her out by working at the fast food restaurant she applied to in the first place, the two tearfully embrace. Sarah tells Pepper that she has become tired of the lifestyle and it can not continue, as it is counter to her values. In the final scene, Sarah is seen hitchhiking out of town by herself.

Cast

Production

Bare was filmed in Albuquerque and Moriarty, New Mexico, and Reno, Nevada; it started on July 31, 2014, and finished on August 23, 2014.

Director Natalia Leite wanted to cast two women who were willing to be totally raw and exposed on camera in the leading roles. She stated: "I wanted to find two women who were very different from each other to put those two contrasting energies together." [3]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 19, 2015. [1] The film was scheduled to be released in a limited release and through video on demand on October 30, 2015. [2] The film is set to be released in the UK on April 25[ year needed ] through Paramount Pictures.[ citation needed ] Filmmaker Matt McKinzie wrote an essay for PopMatters that discussed queer female film, saying that Bare was mis-marketed to as arthouse and only granted limited release in a move "upholding the all-too-common tradition of erasing queer, female-driven narratives from the popular consciousness — as if a queer female audience did not exist, or if queer female narratives were incapable of being publicly embraced". [4]

Critical reception

Rotten Tomatoes reports that 56% of seven surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 5.9/10. [5] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Performing her first onscreen nude scene, Agron is quite convincing as a character markedly different from her duplicitous cheerleader on Glee , well conveying Sarah's newfound sexual freedom and adventurousness." He also stated that de la Huerta was perfectly cast for her role as Pepper, though the film has a "mundane storyline". [6]

Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Director Natalia Leite brings an emotional intelligence and sensitivity to Bare that raises it above its smutty late-night cable premise of a small-town girl falling into a lesbian affair and exploring the world of stripping". [7]

John Stewart of The Slanted wrote, "The film is an wonderful departure for Glee’s Dianna Agron and her performance with Paz De La Huerta is sure to spark a lot more work in the future for both rising stars. Also deserving praise is the writer and director of the film Natalia Leite, a young woman that is quickly cementing her reign over highly-stylized and sexually progressive dramas." [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stripper</span> Striptease performer

A stripper or exotic dancer is a person whose occupation involves performing striptease in a public adult entertainment venue such as a strip club. At times, a stripper may be hired to perform at private events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paz de la Huerta</span> American actress (born 1984)

María de la Paz Elizabeth Sofía Adriana de la Huerta y Bruce, known professionally as Paz de la Huerta, is an American actress. She had roles in the films The Cider House Rules (1999) and A Walk to Remember (2002), and played Lucy Danziger in the HBO drama series Boardwalk Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dianna Agron</span> American actress and singer (born 1986)

Dianna Elise Agron is an American actress and singer. After dancing and starring in small musical theater productions in her youth, Agron made her screen debut in 2006, and in 2007, she played recurring character Debbie Marshall on Heroes and had her first leading role. In 2009, she took the role of the antagonistic but sympathetic head cheerleader Quinn Fabray on the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. For her role in the series, she won a SAG Award and, as part of the cast, was nominated for the Brit Award for Best International Breakthrough Act, among other accolades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinn Fabray</span> Fictional character from the Fox series Glee

Quinn Fabray is a fictional character from the TV series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Dianna Agron, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. She is the cheerleading captain at the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, as well as a member of the school's glee club. In the first episode, Quinn is introduced as an antagonistic queen bee stock character. She joins the school glee club to spy on her boyfriend Finn Hudson and becomes a spy for cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester ; she remains part of the club after she is removed from the cheerleading team, the "Cheerios", due to her pregnancy. Over the course of the first season, her character matures and builds friendships with the other outcasts who make up the glee club. Quinn gives birth at the end of the first season to a baby girl, Beth, whom she gives up for adoption. Quinn was 16 years old when she had her baby.

Ballad (<i>Glee</i>) 10th episode of the 1st season of Glee

"Ballad" is the tenth episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on November 18, 2009, and was written and directed by series creator Brad Falchuk. "Ballad" sees the glee club split into pairs to sing ballads to one another. Rachel is paired with club director Will and develops a crush on him. Quinn's parents learn that Quinn is pregnant, and she moves in with Finn and his mother when her own parents evict her. Gregg Henry and Charlotte Ross guest-star as Quinn's parents Russell and Judy Fabray, and Sarah Drew appears as Suzy Pepper, a student with a former crush on Will. Romy Rosemont returns as Finn's mother, Carole Hudson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Becca Tobin</span> American actress (born 1986)

Rebecca Grace Tobin is an American actress, singer, and dancer. She is known for her role as Kitty Wilde on the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee.

"Thanksgiving" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American musical television series Glee, and the seventy-fourth episode overall. Written by Russel Friend and Garrett Lerner, and directed by Bradley Buecker, it aired on Fox in the United States on November 29, 2012. The episode features the return of many of the New Directions graduates to help in coaching the current glee club for Sectionals competition, which takes place on Thanksgiving, and the reappearance of special guest star Sarah Jessica Parker as Isabelle Wright, Kurt's boss in New York City.

"Naked" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of the American musical television series Glee, and the seventy-eighth episode overall. Written and directed by co-creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, respectively, it aired on Fox in the United States on January 31, 2013.

<i>The Family</i> (2013 film) 2013 film by Luc Besson

The Family is a 2013 French black comedy crime film co-written and directed by Luc Besson, starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones, Dianna Agron, and John D'Leo. It follows a Mafia family in the witness protection program who want to change their lives. It is based on the French novel Malavita by Tonino Benacquista.

Mateo Frazier is an American writer, director, producer. He is best known for co-writing and directing the 2013 Lionsgate film Blaze You Out and producing the 2014 Sundance film Drunktown's Finest.

<i>Tumbledown</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film

Tumbledown is a 2015 American romantic comedy film directed by Sean Mewshaw, written by Desiree Van Til, and starring Rebecca Hall, Jason Sudeikis, Dianna Agron and Joe Manganiello. It was released on February 5, 2016 by Starz Digital.

Homecoming (<i>Glee</i>) 2nd episode of the 6th season of Glee

"Homecoming" is the second episode of the sixth season of the American musical television series Glee, and the 110th overall. The episode was written by series co-creator Ryan Murphy, directed by executive producer Bradley Buecker, and first aired on January 9, 2015 on Fox in the United States along with the previous episode, "Loser Like Me", as a special two-hour premiere.

<i>McQueen</i> (play) 2015 play by James Phillips

McQueen is a play by British playwright James Phillips and directed by John Caird. It received its world premiere at the St. James Theatre, London, in May 2015. Starring Stephen Wight and Dianna Agron, the story is set over the course of one night. It focuses on the visionary imagination of the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen, about a girl who breaks into the designer's home to steal a dress and is caught by McQueen.

<i>Dixieland</i> (film) 2015 American film

Dixieland is a 2015 American crime drama film, written and directed by Hank Bedford. The film stars Chris Zylka, Riley Keough, Spencer Lofranco, Steve Earle, and Faith Hill. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 19, 2015. The film was released in a limited release and through video on demand on December 11, 2015, by IFC Films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Natalia Leite</span> Brazilian writer and director

Natalia Leite is a Brazilian writer and director. She is best known for directing the indie hit film M.F.A., a feminist rape-revenge thriller that spurred debates at the start of the #MeToo movement. Subsequently, she went on to direct episodes of The Handmaid's Tale. Her work has been described as having “a bracing, assertive style” (Variety), "emotional intelligence", and as “cementing the reign over highly stylized, sexually progressive dramas” (Slant). Leite is known to incorporate her documentary subjects into her scripted films.

<i>Between Us</i> (2016 film) 2016 film by Rafael Palacio Illingworth

Between Us is a 2016 American drama film written and directed by Rafael Palacio Illingworth. The film stars Olivia Thirlby, Ben Feldman, Adam Goldberg, Lio Tipton, Scott Haze, Peter Bogdanovich and Lesley Ann Warren.

<i>Novitiate</i> (film) 2017 American drama film by Maggie Betts

Novitiate is a 2017 American drama film written and directed by Maggie Betts in her feature directorial debut. Starring Margaret Qualley, Melissa Leo, Morgan Saylor, Dianna Agron, Julianne Nicholson, Liana Liberato, Denis O'Hare, and Maddie Hasson, the film follows a young woman (Qualley) who starts to question her faith as she trains to become a nun.

<i>Acidman</i> (film) 2022 film by Alex Lehmann

Acidman is a 2022 American science fiction drama film directed by Alex Lehmann and written by Lehmann and Chris Dowling. It stars Thomas Haden Church and Dianna Agron.

<i>Clock</i> (film) 2023 film by Alexis Jacknow

Clock is a 2023 American science fiction horror film written and directed by Alexis Jacknow in her feature-length debut, based on her 2020 short film of the same name. The film stars Dianna Agron. It was released on Hulu in the United States on April 28, 2023, and on Disney+ internationally.

References

  1. 1 2 "Bare | Tribeca Film Festival". Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved 2015-09-25.
  2. 1 2 "Bare - Discover the best in independent, foreign, documentaries, and genre cinema from IFC Films. - IFC Films".
  3. Rickinson, Steve (April 20, 2015). "2015 Tribeca Film Festival Profile: Natalia Leite (Writer/Director – 'BARE')". Indie NYC. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved April 20, 2015.
  4. "Parallelism and Deliverance in Barbara Loden's 'Wanda' and Natalia Leite's 'Bare'". PopMatters. January 24, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  5. "Bare (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  6. Scheck, Frank (April 20, 2015). "'Bare': Tribeca Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  7. "'Bare' covers its stripper tale with a feminine sensibility". October 29, 2015 via LA Times.
  8. "Bare trailer, Glee's Dianna Agron breaks new ground in dark, passionate drama". September 25, 2015. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved April 4, 2016.