The relationship between personal assistant and Hollywood star has been curiously under-explored on the big screen, despite the myriad of tantalizing possibilities that the intimate yet drastically uneven connection stirs up. In 2001’s America’s Sweethearts, Julia Roberts played second fiddle to her glamorous movie star sister, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones, yet it was within the framework of a superficial, dull romantic comedy. Much better was 2014’s Clouds of Sils Maria, which offered a deeper dive into the day-to-day life of Kristen Stewart’s aide to Juliette Binoche’s actor. But in neo-noir Gemini, writer-director Aaron Katz has wisely realized the dark potential of this pairing and imagined what murderous intrigue would add to an already complex alliance.
Jill (Lola Kirke) is the loyal assistant of Heather (Zoë Kravitz), an actor whose star is on the rise. The two share a friendship outside of work responsibilities but Heather’s flightiness tests Jill’s patience as she’s always the one left picking up the pieces. She’s fielding angry calls from Heather’s recent ex as well as an angry film-maker whose passion project has collapsed after Heather pulled out last minute. Heather wants to take a break but feels unsafe and asks to borrow Jill’s gun. After a drunken night of karaoke, a violent crime has been committed and Jill must turn amateur sleuth to find out exactly what has happened.
What’s nailed down right from the outset is a believable, lived-in chemistry between the two women anchoring the film. Katz subtly suggests a shared history without indulging in clumsy exposition. These are two characters who know each other and are comfortable with their relationship and he also refrains from turning them into the stereotypes we might expect from the set-up. Heather is not the spoilt diva and Jill is far from the mousy doormat. There’s humor and empathy on show, albeit backed up with an awareness that one of these women is employing the other, a barrier to equality within their friendship.
It’s the first act of Gemini that works best, a smoothly paced, sleekly directed evening between the pair as they half-work, half-play their way around LA. Kirke, who hasn’t become the Hollywood mainstay that her roles in Gone Girl and Mistress America suggested she would, is an engaging lead but it’s Kravitz who steals the show. She boasts rare, A-list magnetism that makes it easy to understand exactly why the industry seems to be clamoring after her in the film. Both make convincing cases for why they should be getting more work. It’s a shame though that the charming John Cho, playing a detective, is so underused, cropping up in a handful of scenes, spouting odd dialogue that feels tailor-made for trailers (“I think you might remember things more than most people”).
Katz, who impressed with his vastly different Iceland-set comedy Land Ho!, drenches the film in a Lynch-lite aesthetic and the atmosphere sticks, even if the plot doesn’t go the distance. As it switches gears and segues into mystery territory, it remains watchable but it doesn’t have the heft to support its teasing narrative. There’s a far-fetched lurch near the end that isn’t the big reveal it should be and it begs far too many questions that never get answered. It’s a tight film at 93 minutes but it ends with such abruptness that one wishes there were more of the story to be told. It feels like a novella, an afternoon read that doesn’t quite satisfy as you might want it to.
Gemini is an effective mood piece that shows that its two main stars and writer-director are all effortlessly capable. But there’s a flimsiness that means it doesn’t linger. It’s a delicious appetizer but you’ll crave more.
- Gemini is released in the US on 30 March with a UK date yet to be announced
