Review: Archaelogy of a Woman

It is unimaginable for me to wake up in a world where my Mommy didn’t know me.  She is my buddy, my friend and the woman who gave me life.  Being confronted with such a reality would surely be a daunting and complex issue for me to deal with, as it would be for any child that is close to a parent.

In Archaeology of a Woman, fiercely independent retired newspaper columnist Margaret (Sally Kirkland) fights to protect her freedom in light of the spiraling dementia she cannot control or avoid.  Her daughter, Kate (Victoria Clark), an aspiring New York City Chef, is called upstate to help, but the cards are stacked against them.  As Margaret’s mind fades, a chilling and dark event from 30 years ago begins to unravel an uncertain conclusion.

Written, directed and co-produced by Sharon Greytak, dementia is once again in the spotlight onscreen for 2014 (Alzheimer’s is an issue dealt with in the documentary, Glen Campbell’s I’ll Be Me and Still Alice with Julianne Moore).  Greytak tackles this subject from the child and parent point of view.  It is sublimely illustrated how a parent will go to any lengths necessary to avoid being “found out”, as well as how desperate and frustrating it can become for the child to just get answers.

Sally Kirkland’s body of work stretches decades and we are use to seeing her onscreen as a sexy and alluring leading lady.  Kirkland strips all the way down in order to inhabit the reality of Margaret’s world and executes it with a brave, grounded, unforgettable performance that most actors dream of sinking their teeth into.

Victoria Clark is playing against type of her typical character roles and tackling Kate with grit and gut-wrenching realness.

You don’t want to miss the performances of the two stellar and mesmerizing actresses, so LA peeps Archaeology of a Woman opens on December 5th at Laemmle Music Hall Cinema.