Millie Lies Low - Film Review

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Millie Lies Low is written and directed by Michelle Savill - a debut feature, and stars Ana Scotney as Millie, Rachel House as her mum, Jillian Nguyen as Carolyn her friend, Chris Alosio as Henry the boyfriend and Sam Cotton as Scott the teacher. Currently in cinemas as of 17 Nov, catch it in NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, WA and SA.

At 100 minutes run time, we walk in the world of anxiety-ridden Millie on her way from Wellington to New York for an internship at a prestigious architecture firm when a huge moment of panic causes her to demand being taken off the aircraft. A deep sense of shame prevents her from fessing up to her friends and family. So instead she lies low in her hometown in order to scrounge for money she doesn't have, for another ticket. She uses her wits and the magic of the internet to convince her friends, boyfriend, mum, and the world at large, that she's successfully living the dream in NYC.


Millie Lies Low is a sharp character driven comedy-drama and Ana Scotney is the perfect vehicle to take us along on her journey as she navigates her way through a period of crisis in her life. As both protagonist and her own antagonist she will draw you in to empathise with her as well as get that little bit annoyed with her; you want to shake her up for the choices she makes. However this female-centric film's themes of identity, options paralysis, self-representation and finding one's place in the world is perfectly reflected in Scotney's strong performance, which makes her feel deeply and painfully real.

Desperate schemes and hastily constructed facades have a way of crumbling as options run out and Millie must face the fallout of her deception. She has dug herself in so deep with her lies, at times getting more enjoyment out of her delusions, her life of fiction, than she ought to. However time strips away the layers and there's much to face up to for Millie, about her friends and about herself. Scotney's fierce performance makes this a must-see film. Her expressions light up her every emotion which she conveys realistically, and she brings a wide-eyed quality to her interactions to other characters and situations. There's more layers to this film than envisaged, hiding under a seemingly simple narrative - it's a very human story.





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