I really have to give it to Jane Kaczmarek who stars in “And Now I Lay Me Down.” She really is a marvel in what is a pretty gut wrenching movie that approaches a serious topic with a tongue in cheek. Kaczmarek is essentially the only cast member in the entirety of Rani DeMuth’s short drama comedy and commands a lot of the screen with such an immense powerful and intense sadness.
Recently having had its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Celia Dalvi is a wealthy, aging actress who attempts to have her perfect last day on Earth. It doesn’t go quite as planned. A brief examination of wealth and entitlement mixed with sorrow and self-pity on the way to newfound enlightenment. And Cheetos. Whether intentional or not, star Kaczmarek managed to conjure up the like of Ellen Burstyn in “Requiem for a Dream” as she’s a woman that may or may not be enduring a horrible mental illness, and finds no other options other than to go through with final plans.
A majority of “And Now I Lay Me Down” finds Celia coming to terms with her decision, finding ways to resolve a lot of her personal problems, as well as soaking in final moments of pleasure. Even if it’s breaking open a treasure trove of Cheetos, she attempts to soak in the finer pleasure, before she makes her final move. Director Rani DeMuth offers up a stellar short drama comedy, one that is humorous but also brimming with inherent heart ache and the feeling of hopelessness. It’s also implied that perhaps she’s enduring some kind of dementia, which is left entirely up to us to interpret.
There are so many layers that Kaczmarek brings to the role of Celia that I wouldn’t have minded a longer format film starring the seasoned performer. “And Now I Lay Me Down” is a great depiction of mental illness, and isolation that I quite enjoyed even down to the ironic resolution.