Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival January 25,2020
A Miranda July film
Plot (Spoiler alert)
Old Dolio comes from a family of con artists and an outsider, Melanie, wants to join them into coning people.
Blaine: People have asked Miranda July if “Kajillionare” was inspired by anything, but it was just an idea that came to her. Miranda woke up one morning and was half asleep. Her mind was playing tricks on her and she saw a family of three, a man and two long haired women, standing right in front of her. Whenever Miranda July has an idea she likes to work fast at writing it down before she loses it. And that idea grows the more she thinks about it and then will be transformed into a script.
Sundance has always been good to Miranda by showing it’s support. Every movie Miranda has made has premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and every time she has an idea for a movie she goes to Sundance because she knows they’ll help bring that idea to life through support and financing it.
Miranda July has found herself to be an inspiration to a lot of women, like Evan Rachel Wood and Gina Rodriguez. Miranda has achieved so much in her career, writing, directing, acting, she even wrote a novel. Evan Rachel Wood loves that a lot of female directors are being recognized these days and her number one reason for choosing projects like “Kajillionaire” is to work with a female director. Miranda July was one of those directors Evan had her eye on for a while. She thinks Miranda is brilliant. Evan Rachel Wood likes to see new things in the world of cinema, with stories no one has ever told before, and the script for “Kajillionaire” was very rare to her. Gina Rodriguez got the feeling of love as she read through the script and I can see why now.
Evan worked closely with Miranda on bringing the character, Old Dolio, to life. One of the important elements to the character was how her hairdo would look because the first time Miranda had a vision for the character she saw her with really long hair. Evan would style the hair for Miranda. Of course only two looks were required, having the hair behind or over the ears. Another thing was giving the character a voice. Evan always asked herself if she should deepen her voice for a part, but her vocal coach told her it would ruin her singing voice. Still, Evan wanted to try it out and she decided to use it for the part of Old Dolio.
The way I see it, Old Dolio was an unwanted pregnancy. I say that because her parents treat her more like a co-worker than a daughter. Old Dolio never went to school, never had any social activity, all she was taught was how to con people and steal. I think she is diagnosed with a disability too. She feels uncomfortable about being touched. She talks fine but doesn’t talk a lot. Old Dolio can be shy at times too.
Old Dolio’s family are close but not as close as a family should be. Old Dolio has wanted to know what it feels like to be treated like a daughter. Her mother never said “I love you” to her. Old Dolio grew up away from having a normal childhood and not knowing what the real world is like. But it still makes her wonder what life is really all about. Old Dolio is payed to attend a class about motherhood and it actually takes an effect on her after they show this video on how a newborn baby bonds with it’s mother quickly. She finds it interesting. Also makes her question why she never had that kind of experience with her mom.
Old Dolio's parents are the only people in her life that she knows and she sticks to them even though they are not the best parents. They don’t show Old Dolio the love that she deserves and they didn’t think about her first. They should have just put her in an orphanage and maybe things would have been different for her. Her parents are irresponsible.
Whenever it’s time to steal, Old Dolio acts like a secret agent to make sure the security cameras don’t see her. Miranda July did say that the “Mission Impossible” series was an inspiration for her. I can imagine the theme music from “Mission Impossible” playing in the background as Old Dolio is going in.
Fate brings in someone who is unlike anyone Old Dolio has ever met before. Melanie is very interactive, really expresses herself, loves to socialize. She’s the complete opposite of Old Dolio.
The style of the characters is interesting. Old Dolio wears loose clothes and looks like she came out of a dumpster, where as Melanie wears skin tight clothing and really glows because she is clean and wears makeup.
Old Dolio and her family have never been honest about themselves to strangers. They are always lying as they are conning people. Melanie is the first to know they are con artists. Of course they aren’t professionals, but Melanie believes they are. She wants in because it sounds exciting to her. Melanie also wants to get to know Old Dolio better. Old Dolio is shy as usual, but she does communicate if someone is asking something important.
They manage to get money, but the parents blow it on a hot tub when really they need to save up for rent that they owe. Old Dolio knows it’s better to use the money for something more useful, like a roof over your head. But she doesn’t really speak up and the parents won’t listen anyway.
Melanie sees how these three live and realizes this is not normal. They are not as she thought they were. She realizes that they are more like bums who don’t think about what is truly best for themselves. She also doesn’t feel comfortable around them. At least the parents anyway. With Old Dolio, it’s different.
Old Dolio wants more for herself. She goes back to the place she learned about babies bonding with their mothers. Looks like they teach people how to connect too. She attends another one of those classes, and that’s good for her because it’ll help her become more interactive and social. Also it gives her something else to do besides trying to con people all the time. The teacher must understand Old Dolio’s condition.
A check comes in the mail for more than 15 thousand dollars and it’s enough to pay for the rent. Old Dolio is carrying the check and the mother asks for it. Old Dolio will give it to her only if she treats her like a daughter. All Old Dolio is asking for from her mother is to be loved, but her mother is making some dumb excuse. The mother won’t do it because she thinks parenthood is pathetic. Old Dolio’s parents are like machines because they don’t feel anything. Melanie knows the parents don’t deserve the money and the way they raised Old Dolio isn’t right. Melanie sees Old Dolio as someone who needs help. Melanie gets Old Dolio out of there and takes her to her apartment. Obviously Melanie cares more about Old Dolio than her own parents and she knows how to be a human being. Melanie says she’ll call her hun for the 15 thousand, but she’s not doing it for the money, she’s doing it because she wants to help Old Dolio. Melanie feels Old Dolio deserves better in life.
Melanie writes a list of things to do that could help Old Dolio, things she never did in life. Things that could help her become normal. Old Dolio also has to think for herself. She just wants to give Melanie the money, but Melanie is not letting go of Old Dolio that easily. The parents are like a drug. Old Dolio has to flush out everything her parents taught her and let Melanie guide her into the real world. Old Dolio feels uncomfortable staying with another person and Melanie is trying to show Old Dolio that she is trust worthy. She’s also trying to show her that she doesn’t have to be afraid of anything.
Melanie takes Old Dolio into a dark room and a earthquake passes by, making Old Dolio nervous. The dark room is working because Old Dolio is letting out her thoughts and feelings. It’s like an exercise. Old Dolio goes out feeling really good, as if she were reborn. She’s enjoying the things around her and really socializing with strangers. Although some of the stuff Old Dolio said in that dark room were hurtful things about Melanie. One of the things Old Dolio said in the room was that Melanie was wasting her life, but really Melanie has done more in life by living it, while Old Dolio hasn’t done anything. I think Old Dolio said that to Melanie because she is jealous. Old Dolio also said stuff that made Melanie feel like she is nothing to her. The truth is Melanie is like her good luck charm. Old Dolio is feeling good about herself and she has Melanie to thank for that. Melanie is the only friend Old Dolio has ever made in life and she doesn’t want her out of her life. She likes her. Lucky thing for Old Dollo, Melanie can be forgiving.
The parents leave presents for Old Dolio and say they want to make up for the times they weren’t a true family. Both Old Dolio and Melanie don’t know what to think of it, but Melanie suspects something is up. Melanie wants to protect Old Dolio. They both go on a dinner date with the folks and they say stuff that actually moves Old Dolio. Old Dolio stays with Melanie for one more night, and Melanie is not happy that Old Dolio has to leave just to be with the people who are not fit to be parents.
Old Dolio and Melanie wake up the next morning and the whole place has been robbed. The parents snuck in during the night, probably took one of Melanie’s keys when she wasn’t looking, and took all of Melanie’s belongings. They even took the money. They used and lied to Old Dolio and toyed with her feelings. They conned her! They didn’t care at all. The parents have proven themselves to be stubborn. They don’t care about anyone, including their own daughter. All they care about is themselves. Both Old Dolio and Melanie are very disappointed that this happened.
It’s surprising that the parents did this, but at the same time Melanie had a feeling this would happen, and she was right. Old Dolio feels sorry for Melanie. Old Dolio approaches Melanie looking like she wants to give her a hug and Melanie is allowing it. Old Dolio’s arms don’t go all the way around, but she is touching Melanie and they do look at each other face to face. Melanie doesn’t blame Old Dolio for what happened. She is as much of a victim as Melanie. Her parents are to blame for everything. Old Dolio has an idea how she can make it better by returning the stuff the parents bought for her. They are no use to Old Dolio because it’s just a bunch of toys and she’s way past childhood. They are more like worm bait if you ask me. Something to catch Old Dolio’s attention. They manage to get more than 500 dollars for the stuff they returned. It’s not much, but it’ll do for now. Plus Melanie has a job and a mother who can help. Something tells me things will get better again.
One thing Melanie managed to keep was Old Dolio. Old Dolio wants to continue to evolve into a better person and Melanie will always be there to help. Old Dolio realizes her place is with Melanie sense her parents don’t give a shit about her. Another thing Old Dolio has never experienced is falling in love. She’s never been kissed. Another thing about Melanie is she has strong feelings for Old Dolio. She not only wanted to help Old Dolio because she’s nice, but she also has a crush on her as well. And Old Dolio has been feeling the same way. She just didn’t know it because she doesn’t know what love feels like.
My rating on “Kajillionaire” is five out of five stars
