She Came to Me from writer and director Rebecca Miller is sort of a romance, but not really. It’s sort of a comedy, but not really. It’s a story about some slightly cracked people and families who somehow fit together. Operas and tugboats are involved.
She Came to Me feels disjointed at first. We meet the characters in very different situations with no transitions between scenes. Stick with it, however, because it all comes together.
Steven Lauder (Peter Dinklage) is a composer of operas. He is stuck composing a new opera and has a deadline. He’s married to Patricia (Anne Hathaway), a psychiatrist who was formerly Steven’s therapist. He still calls her Doc sometimes. Patricia has her own set of mental quirks. When Steven wants to lay in bed and sulk, she sends him out to walk the dog.
Patricia has a teen age son, Julian (Evan Ellison). He’s busy making out with Tereza (Harlow Jane) and taking Polaroids to prove it.
Tereza lives with Magdalena (Joanna Kulig) and stepdad Trey (Brian d’Arcy James). More quirky people. They are connected to Patricia and Steven in more ways than one.
So . . . back to Steven walking the dog. He stops in a bar and meets Katrina (Marisa Tomei). She’s a tugboat captain with an addiction to romance. She immediately romances Steven. He makes her quirky personality into the plot for his opera.
And, dear reader, that is just the beginning of the story. So many surprising and unexpected things happen as this unusual story rolls along. The characters are delightfully off center. The performances are perfect, especially from Marisa Tomei. Oh, forget that, they were all terrific.
I found this hidden gem deep inside Hulu. It’s available from several other streamers, too. Cheers to Rebecca Miller for dreaming up this unusual story and making it a fun movie! If you watch it, please share your reaction in the comments.