The Rule of Jenny Pen
When Judge Stefan Mortensen (Geoffrey Rush, "Shine") suffers a crippling stroke, he's admitted to a nursing home where his misanthropic outlook doesn't endear him to other residents or the staff. So when he discovers that the seemingly harmless Dave Crealy (John Lithgow) is feigning dementia in order to terrorize vulnerable elderly at night, he has his work cut out for him to stop the man's ruthless game called "The Rule of Jenny Pen."
Laura's Review:
Adapting another Owen Marshall short story after his feature debut "Coming Home in the Dark," writer (with Eli Kent)/director James Ashcroft gets brilliant performances from his leads in a stunningly crafted film, but while the agency of the infirm elderly is a major theme, his depiction of the fictional Royal Pine Mews Care Home is a travesty and seemingly conclusive scenes are suddenly upended minutes later, making for an unrealistic and confusing narrative.
Mortensen is introduced as an unempathetic judge, condemning the mother of the accused he is sentencing after she offered thanks. The man then lowered from a van in a wheelchair wants nothing to do with anyone, convinced his stay is temporary. He gets no sympathy at all about his shared room, his complaints that he was not informed of this ahead of time brushed away, his assurances that his roommate is former rugby star Tony Garfield (George Henare, "Once Were Warriors") met with a disparaging remark about rugby players' rape cases. Before his first day has passed, Mortensen will witness a man taking nips in the garden go up in flames and a woman appearing to connect with him over their brief stays proving completely deluded, her assertion that her family will pick her up after the Christmas holidays upended when Mortensen informs her it is early October. A looming threat will be introduced by director of photography Matt Henley's ("Coming Home in the Dark") deep focus during this dining hall conversation as Dave Crealy hones in on the new arrival from across the room.
Mortensen notices the man who wears a dementia doll/puppet on his right hand and is startled when he awakens at 2:37 a.m. to see Crealy sitting in his room. The man jumps up, pulls off the judges bed covers, gleefully dumps the contents of his urine bottle over his pajama pants and flees. But Mortensen's protestations and accusations are met with suggestions that he had a nightmare and when the judge calls on Tony as a witness, his roommate inexplicably refuses to back up his story.
Creary, who Mortensen will find in official group photos lining the halls back to 1968 (a mystery never solved here), becomes increasingly aggressive, clearing a dance floor by stepping on patients' feet and shoving the infirm, something which no staff member appears to notice, an ongoing problem throughout the film which becomes increasingly problematic (there apparently are no security alarms on doors to the outside overnight either, for example). The poor woman who thinks it's always Christmastime is found dead in a manner which screams homicide, but we never hear a thing about it. Dave becomes intent on subjecting the judge to his will, but while his demands of 'Who rules?' are met with stubborn refusal by Mortensen, the judge is forced to watch Tony suffer terrible and painful indignities (the man eventually provides an explanation for his sealed lips which passes psychological muster). But most frustrating of all, when Mortensen comes up with a diabolical scheme to rid the care home of its tormentor, it appears to work, until Creary reappears as if nothing's happened with no rhyme or reason.
"The Rule of Jenny Pen" may frustrate with all of these lapses, but Rush and Lithgow make for fascinating adversaries, Rush's watchful eyes and simmering demeanor indicating a vengeful intelligence in a failing body, Lithgow embracing psychotic malevolence within a very physical performance. Henare grows in power as Mortensen's reluctant confidante turned eventual accomplice. Henley's use of unusual angles, thoughtful off-kilter compositions and eerie lighting add to the growing menace, accompanied by a sound design which both unnerves and relays the effect of Mortensen's stroke on his senses.
"The Rule of Jenny Pen" reminds one of Osgood Perkins' "Longlegs," if to a lesser degree. Here is a film with so much potential, beautifully crafted and acted, which fails to meet expectations because of flaws in its storytelling.
Robin's Review: B-
IFC Films releases "The Rule of Jenny Pen" in theaters on 3/7/25.
