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The setup is flat, almost insulting simple.
Why not give each other permission to sleep with a few others, provided there are no secrets?
What could go wrong?
Crano is not especially subtle with his portents.
A waitress drops an entire tray of dishes.
A police siren invades the conversation, followed by piercing red-and-blue lights.
The soundtrack on the street consists of pounding drums.
But hes no predator.
He likes her a lot.
Will whos also at the club watches them vanish together into the night with a sinking feeling.
Not that Will doesnt have his own opportunities.
They take bubble baths and drink champagne but the chemistry isnt at the Anna-Dane level.
Slowly, Will begins to seem more and more lightweight, ineffectual young.
Dane has real weight.
If you identify with Will,Permissionwill be an exercise in masochism without parallel.
Best to identify with Anna, if you’re free to.
She dithers charmingly, pops her eyes, and allows herself to be led around in a daze.
I began by thinking this wasnt really her genre but ended up liking her a lot.
She opens herself up.
Her manner is lyrical but also raw, as if shes surrendering to the music of the moment.
Permissionhas a B plot, unfortunately, centering on Hale and Heron.
Hale wants a child, by surrogacy if possible.
Heron doesnt want to be weighed down.
In some ways its the inverse of the Anna-Will plot, but the dialogue is full of signposts.
These scenes err on the side of being too casual.
Theres a lot of clunky stuff inPermissionand too many white guys with beards to keep straight.
Ungainly as it is, though, it delivers a hell of a kick.
The final scenes are wrenching.
The final shot is happy and sad and strange and awful and very hopeful.
As I said, it depends on your vantage.
