Greta (4 Stars)

This is a film that I had to see in the cinema. I consider Chloe Grace Moretz to be a terribly underrated actress. Some of her recent films have gone straight to video, some have received 0% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, and even the films that make it into the cinema aren't successful at the box office. Tonight it looked like the streak was continuing. I bought my ticket at the cinema, and I was told that the film would be cancelled if nobody else wanted to see it. At 8:39 pm, one minute before the film was due to start, I was still standing in front of the locked door. Finally two elderly ladies turned up, and the door was opened. The film started a few minutes late, but at least it started.

Chloe Grace Moretz plays a young waitress called Frances who lives in New York. She finds a handbag in the subway, and because she's a decent person she brings it back to the person whose name and address are inside: Greta Hideg, an elderly widow who lives in Manhattan. They realise they have a lot in common. Greta lives alone, because her only daughter is living in France; Frances is grieving over the recent death of her mother. The friendship is based around a mother-daughter relationship, even though Frances tries to deny it. Frances' roommate Erica, played by the always wonderful Maika Monroe, finds her friendship with an older woman strange. We soon see that Frances and Erica have nothing in common, which is one of the reasons why Frances is so fast to accept Greta as a friend.

Just when things seem to be running naturally, Frances opens a cupboard in Greta's apartment and finds a row of identical handbags, each with a note of a woman's name and a telephone number. Greta has been luring women to her apartment. Frances doesn't wait to find out why. She breaks off the friendship immediately, but she can't escape from Greta. Wherever she goes, Greta follows her. The police don't offer much help, so Frances delves into Greta's secret.

This is a chilling psychological thriller. As Greta, Isabelle Huppert is beautiful but sinister. The three women in the main roles play off one another perfectly. Could this be Chloe Grace Moretz's return to success? Somehow I doubt it. The film is delightfully feminocentric, which makes it appeal to me, but most viewers will miss the presence of a strong male character.