Hello, My Name Is Doris, is a sharp dramedy focusing on the romantic stirrings of a lonely office worker, played by Sally Field.
Although the likes of Blythe Danner and Lily Tomlin have recently headlined films, it's rare to find a woman over the age of 50 (or, really, 35) top-lining her own movie – and even more unlikely for that film to centre on said woman's sexual desires. Yet against all odds, here is Hello, My Name Is Doris, a sharp dramedy focusing on the romantic stirrings of a lonely office worker, played with considerable wit and verve by the 69-year-old Sally Field. While director Michael Showalter is best known for his work on the absurdist comedies Wet Hot American Summer and They Came Together, he shows a deft hand here, gently guiding Field's singleton through the minefield that is modern romance. Field, meanwhile, has rarely been better – though perhaps that's simply because it's been so long since the Oscar winner has been given the chance to play anything but grandmothers and overprotective aunts. (14A) Barry Hertz
Barry Hertz