The script for Luckiest Girl Alive was written by Jessica Knoll
The script for Luckiest Girl Alive was written by Jessica Knoll, whose mystery novel served as the inspiration for the movie. In this situation, it is reasonable to assume that, for the most part, the events depicted on screen correspond to those in the book. The tale is significant when considered alone. Despite being a familiar story, it delves deeply into the current concerns of gender, bullying, peer pressure, sexual assault, and trying to fit in at any costs. Although the story is not particularly innovative, it deals with topical issues that will always be relevant.
Mila Kunis’s portrayal of the lead character Ani Fanelli, who displays outward behaviour that is in stark contrast to who she is on the inside, gives the impression that she is an unreliable narrator of sorts. She has risen to the top and is prepared to go to any lengths to maintain her position. In high school, Ani was referred to as TifAni or Finny—a nickname she would like to forget or leave behind. She is apparently passionate about being engaged to a generationally affluent and successful man and advancing her writing career at a well-known women’s magazine in New York.
The former checks all of her desired boxes , and the latter acts as a springboard for bigger things. She’s persuaded herself that this is the ideal way to live. A whole other question is whether she truly wants that. The issue is found right there. The voice in her brain is witty and biting, but it is also true. Her memory of who she is and where she hails from is impacted by traumatic and complex events that occurred decades ago.
It is simple to make comparisons between the two characters and Amy Dunne from Gone Girl, played by Rosamund Pike, due to their respective personalities. Mila Kunis’ portrayal of Ani in the movie falls short of the brilliant performance that Rosamund Pike gave, which left a trail of unresolved questions in its wake. Ani’s personality is meant to be complex because her history threatens her present. But Kunis’ deadpan voice and expressiveness never give you the impression that she is as damaged as you might think.
The younger version of Ani, TifAni, is portrayed by Chiara Aurelia, who is more appropriate for the part of an adolescent navigating the perils of high school. After everything that goes wrong on a drunken night at the school dance, she displays the whole gamut of complex emotions in her performance. She doesn’t want to press assault charges because she doesn’t have much support and is frequently bullied. Her boyfriend and a few other powerful male classmates create a toxic climate that results in a tragic school shooting. One of her attackers, who was rendered incapacitated on the day of the shooting, is now a well-known advocate for gun reform. A documentary maker is interested in hearing Ani’s version of events because her participation in the massacre is being questioned.
Performance notably pertaining to its lead character falls short on various fronts
The main problem with Luckiest Girl Alive is not that the plot isn’t interesting. Without a doubt, it does. The performance, particularly that of the main character, falls short on a number of fronts. The role isn’t the best fit for Mila Kunis. It required someone to fully embody the persona such that she emanated passion and contradiction. To claim that Kunis is realistic throughout the movie would be a major leap. And none of this has anything to do with her job as a rather untrustworthy narrator. The adult Ani would have all of our sympathy if she were credible. We may be able to relate to her younger self better since she is more authentic and raw .
The voice in her head is another factor that does not exactly work in the movie’s favour (that contradicts almost everything she says or does in real life). It was necessary to depict the section of being and pretending differently from how it was ultimately edited. It is problematic because it is too obvious. Luckiest Girl Alive introduces crucial topics that demand in-depth discussion with the aid of its unique story. It is important to treat these issues seriously. School shootings and sexual assaults, bullying, peer pressure, and trying to fit in are all major concerns. Mila Kunis, however, gave a mediocre performance as the lead due to poor casting.