By Mark Fields
Death Drama with Strong Element of Magic Realism Showcases Louis-Dreyfus’ Talent
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, renowned and well-awarded for her comedic work on Seinfeld and Veep (among others), has made some commendable forays into film work in recent years. Though, Enough Said (2013) and You Hurt My Feelings (2023) still reside comfortably within the broader comedy genre. With Tuesday, however, Louis-Dreyfus is taking on her first dramatic lead role, and she acquits herself well in this offbeat mother-daughter story with a strong touch of fantasy.
Louis-Dreyfus plays Zora, a single mother awkwardly coping with the terminal illness and impending death of her only child, who goes by her middle name Tuesday (Lola Petticrew). After a few introductory scenes, screenwriter-director Daina Oniunas-Pusic jumps quickly into the gist of the narrative, the arrival of Death, as personified by a parrot-like talking bird (Arinze Kene). Although Tuesday blithely accepts the reality of her death, Zora absolutely does not. With a combination of fierceness and denial, Zora does what she can to thwart Death’s deadly mission.
