Who wants to be a Kajillionaire?

By Rachel Levin, Staff Writer

Miranda July’s “Kajillionaire,” released Sept. 25, is a quirky, heartfelt film that, although a bit all over the place, tells a heart-wrenching and sometimes sad story of learning to love and figuring out when not to.

Old Dolio Dyne (Rachel Evan Wood) has been trained since birth by her parents to be a scam artist. This is not the most profitable job, and they are days from being evicted when they meet Melanie (Gina Rodriguez), the emotionally stable one and Old Dolio’s future love interest, who is eager to leave her mundane life and insert herself into their exciting one. What ensues is an exploration of parental abuse, broken trust and learning to love from the eyes of the victim, Old Dolio.

The pacing and dialogue of “Kajillionaire” takes some getting used to, but makes an experience that feels much more realistic, and hits much harder, than any overly dramatic but perfectly produced film. The uniqueness of the characters and the way they feel things on screen just feels right for the story they are telling, which is anything but ordinary.

What makes “Kajillionaire” so depressing to watch is the way it shows how positive changes can seem negative if they’ve never been an option. Melanie is, by all accounts, an unremarkable millennial, but framed from Old Dolio’s perspective she’s dangerously outgoing and emotional. By the end of the film, it's obvious that Old Dolio is less her parents’ daughter than their employee, but the viewer is shown emotions through her eyes, so there is still a nagging guilt that Old Dolio is abandoning her family. It is a struggle for Old Dolio to accept things have to change, and the film portrays these emotions expertly.

It all hinges on Wood’s heartfelt performance. From crying while getting a massage to crawling along a parking lot floor to apologize, in every move Wood makes we see that Old Dolio has been emotionally stunted by her parents’ abuse. Contrasted against Rodriguez’s persistent perkiness, Wood’s dead expression and sagging posture stands out as depressing and drab. These two characters are so easy to get invested in because of Wood and Rodriguez’s performances.

Melanie’s appearance in the film is the catalyst that makes Old Dolio consider that perhaps her relationship with her parents might not be normal. It's not obvious immediately—in fact, in their first scene together, they seem to have more animosity towards each other than affection. Gradually, there is a realization that Melanie cares about Old Dolio and a realization that this love is not what she receives from her parents—not just because it's romantic, but because it doesn’t end after they’ve made a profit.

“Kajillionaire” is a very particular experience and requires a very particular viewer willing to accept a journey. Sometimes a little strangeness is needed to reach the messy meaning of things.

Featured collage by Ella Rose, Staff Writer