Park Avenue (12A) Film Review

The story is both  a reunion and a battle between an estranged mother and daughter.   

Charlotte (Katherine Waterston) escapes a husband and a rural life she no longer enjoys and drives to New York to reunite uninvited with her colourful and eccentric mother Kit, who is not expecting her but calmly greets her with the question, “Am I dying?”   As it turns out she is at least ill but that isn’t revealed until later.   Kit is not a woman who gives way to either people or illness easily.

Fiona Shaw gives a virtuoso performance as an eccentric, charismatic older woman who is used to being the centre of attention and devours life like it was a good steak.  

Waterston as her daughter Charlotte is less colourful but gives an interestingly restrained and nuanced performance, though also appears to have inherited some of her mum’s determination, judging on the ruthless and effective way she gets rid of her husband when he tries to persuade her to come home. Incidentally she  has a strong resemblance to British actress Carey Mulligan.  They could convincingly be cast as sisters.  Casting directors, take note!

There’s also a good supporting performance from Chaske Spencer as the doorman of Kit’s apartment block, who has become Kit’s football buddy, when watching the games on tv together and also appears to be an ex of Charlotte from when they were both young. 

Park Avenue is an upmarket area of New York, well known, I am told, for its elderly, eccentric women.  We see quite a bit of them in Fiona’s circle.  The apartment too is very expressive of her personality.  Much of it is painted a rather oppressive dark green and is stuffed with heavy antique furniture, in contrast to the bright living room with a grand piano and Kit’s bedroom with its huge, nest like bed.  You get the impression it hasn’t changed since Charlotte spent her childhood there. It  reflects Kit in an interesting and effective way  and like the woman herself is quite overpowering.

It is the past and present of the relationship between the two women that is the meat of the film.   Kit is both a charmer and a bit of a monster, a dominating woman, used to hogging the limelight and also a woman fearing illness, death and old age,  She is constantly renewing her lipstick, as though that will keep her devils at bay and there is a chilling moment when she is staring at herself in the mirror and her exterior seems to crumble, showing the stark fear and sadness inside.  She is a force to be reckoned with.

 It’s no wonder Charlotte at one point must have thought the plains of Saskatchewan a viable alternative.  But by the end of the film both women have arrived at an understanding of and a love for each other