Krysten Ritter has been fortunate enough to land the coveted role of one of pop culture’s most endearing and timely heroes in recent memory. Returning for the second season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones in the titular role, Ritter is the latest performer to transform their career by portraying a “superhero” of sorts that everyday people can actually relate to instead of an unstoppable, goody-two-shoes crime fighter. And to talk to Ritter, one gets the distinct sense that she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Krysten Ritter
As familiar as a worn out pair of slippers or a well loved recliner that knows exactly how you like to sit in it, The Hero delivers a tried-and-true storyline in as genial a way as possible. Bolstered by a warm-blooded and nuanced leading performance from Sam Elliott, The Hero is one of those stories of a man learning to be less of an egotistical jerk and getting more out of life in the process. These stories are as plentiful as tattered paperbacks at yard sales, but when they’re done as well as director and co-writer Brett Haley’s film occasional lapses into clichéd territory are often forgivable. The Hero is a relaxed, well trod story told well enough.
Opening this weekend, Matt Damon stars in director Paul Greengrass‘ Green Zone; Jay Baruchel and Alice Eve star in the comedy She’s Out of My League; plus Robert Pattinson tries to get teenage hearts racing in the romantic drama Remember Me.