Kylie Alesso’s “Just Lie to Me” (directed by Kelly Walker) is billed as a ‘dark comedy,’ but its deeper treasures lie in its dialogue and discoveries. Dark comedies such as “Ready or Not” or even Alexei Slater’s “Ewww” feature know-better protagonists set against caricatures of people who are impossible to root for. However, “Lie to Me”—while tackling themes of stereotypes and preconceptions—features two well-meaning characters who learn and grow. Alesso’s character Brooke and Ian McQuown’s character Noah both make assumptions about the other that turn out not to be true. Under it all, “Just Lie to Me” wants to be a call for empathy and understanding, but seems stuck in its characters’ flaws, which does it a slight disservice.
In fairness, “Just Lie to Me” is about a struggling bartender in L.A. (Alesso) who meets Noah, a successful business-type who thinks she’s a sex worker. Why does he think this? His bro-type friend Liam (Jared Popkin) thinks she is, and introduces him in a bid for Noah to ‘get over his ex.’ Fed up with her life (or just in a bad mood this night), Brooke decides to go along with it. However this sets up thematics we’ve seen before. But notes from “Promising Young Woman” aside, Noah and Brooke seem like decent people. The first words out of Noah’s mouth are “you’re very pretty.” He’s unsure of himself and going along with his friend’s suggestion out of lack of identity. And we’ve seen how introspective Brooke is at the film’s opening as she gets a tattoo. It sets up dynamics that figure themselves out as they go along.
Top-Notch Dialogue
For me, the most interesting part of “Just Lie to Me” was the dialogue between Brooke and Noah. Brooke’s a headstrong character who wants to challenge stereotypes. Noah’s a safe, sheltered type. He’s a consultant (what does that mean?) and Brooke accuses him of hiding himself under others’ expectations—chiefly his recent ex girlfriend—and she’s right. I liked Brooke’s forceful nature and the way she pried into Noah’s life optimistically. By the end of the night and their conversations, both Noah and Brooke realize things about themselves for the better. What we have here is a typical case of a ‘responsible’ type (Noah) that always plays by what society expects him to be, and a jaded-type in Brooke that’s pushing buttons (sometimes her own) just to see what sticks.
The dialogue in “Just Lie to Me” is well-thought and interesting. It reminded me of the indie feature “Evergreen” in that it really invited you into these people’s lives. There are times when it teeters close to the brink of misogyny as Noah muses on why Brooke must be jaded ‘in her line of work;’ but in fairness, Brooke did tell him she was a sex worker. I like the way at the film’s opening Brooke tells Noah ‘your friend sucks,’ before agreeing to go home with him. Noah’s co-worker Liam is misogynistic. And had the point of Alesso’s film been to attack sexism, he would have been the better target. Noah is the type of person who’s probably never once thought of himself with introspection, and the awkward fumbling McQuown brings to the role is realistic and authentic.
Exploring Identities
Also authentic is Alesso’s intellectualizing everyone but herself. I like that Brooke positions herself as a tough ‘see all the angles’ type, but really just ends up discovering that she—like Noah—wants to be a different person than she is but doesn’t know how. I also like how what starts as a fake date on top of a fake date—towards the film’s end—starts to become a real one. Both lead actors put in good performances and are likable people. Jonathan Pears—who does the film’s cinematography—adds a vibrant color pallet to Noah’s apartment that feels lived in and warm, despite its opulence. And despite the film’s set-up, there are no “Pretty Woman” vibes here; Noah and Brooke are real people, and this film feels like the introspective indie it wants to be.
My only criticism of the film is its slight waffling nature, as it feels at times it wants to be a comedic takedown of sexism, but other times wants to be empathetic and relatable. The film’s ending is somewhat truncated and cynical, and seems to fly in the face of the discussions that came before. In a less exploratory film—like the aforementioned “Ewww,” or one with a less-likable protagonist in Noah—the film’s ending would have hit all the right notes. But after the honesty and sincerity of the moments that came before, it seemed too ‘Hollywood’ to me and the way a film like this feels it should end.
The Right Stuff
However, “Just Lie to Me” is a good film. I liked Brooke and Noah as people, and feel Alesso does a good job exploring their personalities and identities. This is a strong female-driven film, even more impressive that Alesso (who also wrote and produced the film) finished editing it while in labor with her daughter. The film premiered at several Oscar-qualifying festivals and premiered last week on YouTube. You can learn more about the short by following the film on Instagram (@justlietomeshortfilm) or by visiting kyliealesso.com.
“Just Lie to Me” recently premiered worldwide on YouTube. You can watch the film in the window below.
