Hedda Gabler, one of theater's greatest masterminds, is transported to 1950s Britain Nia da Costa's A brilliantly funny, clever and enthusiastic interpretation of Henrik Ibsen's classic play. No knowledge of Ibsen's 1890 play is required to enjoy “Haida.” Like Clueless and Bridget Jones's Diary before it, Hedda Released on Fridayis a film that works entirely on its own terms. It might even spark some curiosity about its source material.
Vibrant and lush, with a blazing engine under the hood, “Hedda” unfolds at an increasingly debauched martini party hosted by Hedda ( Tessa Thompson ) and her prim academic husband George Tesman (Tom Bateman) at their luxurious country estate. Lives were destroyed, guns were pulled, promotions were promised, hearts were broken, and it was Heida's deliberate and gleeful threats that were behind it all.
After all, Hedda was the most dangerous kind of person: brilliant and, according to one key figure's observation, “extremely boring.” Ostensibly the gathering was to celebrate Hedda and George's return from their six-month honeymoon, but Hedda had more on her mind than just small talk. She needs to ensure her husband gets a promotion and get them out of debt—but her plans take a more malicious turn with the addition of Irene Lovborg, who not only competes with George for the same position but also happens to be Hedda's former lover. Erin (otherworldly Nina Hoss ) is a top academic mind who successfully breaks into an impenetrable boys' club, but loses respect after one too many embarrassing drunken antics. Now, Hedda learns that Irene is sober and in a new relationship (with Imogen Poots 'Thea), putting the finishing touches on a manuscript that is sure to change the culture. In short, Irene was more deserving of the position than George, and even he seemed to know that, but for Hedda, that simply wasn't an option.
DaCosta, working with cinematographer Sean Bobbitt, crafted the film with dignity and elegance, with a perspective that makes you feel like you're at the party, from cracking the whip at the bar to chatting with Hedda after closing. Thompson's Hedda is a brilliant charmer with a wicked twinkle in her eye who is only minimally empathetic at best, but you can understand why so many people are smitten with her. It's not even that she's the smartest person in the room—that title belongs to Erin—but she's bored and resentful of the lie she's living and letting her subtle sociopathic impulses, perhaps learned from her father, guide her. Watching it all happen is both hilarious and terrifying. She is a perfect anti-hero.
The other side of the coin is Irene, who is older and wiser and has learned early on that Hedda is basically bad news. Unlike Hedda, she chooses to show her true self in public, and in doing so breaks down barriers (at least to herself). Hawes, a great German actor who was underappreciated in America, was an entirely inspired choice to become the object of Hedda's longing and rage. It's devastating to see Erin lose control simply because she naively believed Hedda was worth listening to. But Hawes doesn't use clichés to illustrate this pedigree—she's too smart for that. Instead, it's a subtle, moving portrait of relapse, punctured by an utterly brutal embarrassment that's deftly staged and executed. Without Hoss holding the screen, the film understandably loses a lot of momentum, but by then it's almost over.
Don't let “Hedda's”'s quick jump to streaming or its misleading comparisons to the far inferior “Saltburn” scare you away. For mysterious reasons, the show aired on Prime Video just a week after premiering in theaters. Still, it's thought that it'll be an enjoyable experience no matter where you happen to catch it. At least at home, it might be easier to prepare a decent martini for the show.
“Haida,” which Amazon-MGM opens in theaters Friday and streams on Prime Video on Oct. 29, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for “sexual content, brief nudity, language and drug use.” Running time: 107 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.