Woman In Car wants to be a compelling character study, but it never takes off because writer/director Vanya Rose wants to focus on the actions in the story rather than the people.

Understandably, it is tempting to be distracted by some of the events in the movie, such as a taboo romance.  And to Rose’s credit, the filmmaker treats that secret relationship with maturity that one expects from an adult drama.  Along with its memorable musical score, these spurts are genuinely refreshing in a movie that’s otherwise pretty bland.  Rose’s focus on these events takes away from the motivations that are supposed to be driving these decisions, removing some of the dimension to the characters involved.

While Woman In Car sets soapy expectations, these choices can usually be tolerated and accepted by forgiving audiences if the film is interesting, entertaining, or both.  Unfortunately, along with Rose’s neglectful direction, the performances are overwrought and too often play up large emotions.  This often results in a movie that’ll likely inspire insubstantial gossipy discussions between movie goers over dinner afterwards rather than anything reflective or resonant.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie