Sophie Hyde’s semi-autobiographical film Jimpa has been met with mixed reviews, praised for committed performances by Olivia Colman and John Lithgow but criticised as indulgent and lacking boldness. The film, which premiered at Sundance, explores intergenerational queer dynamics but falls flat according to critics.
The story follows Adelaide-based filmmaker Hannah (Colman), based on Hyde, as she travels to Amsterdam with her husband and non-binary child Frances, played by Hyde’s own child Aud Mason-Hyde. They visit Hannah’s father Jim (Lithgow), a charismatic gay man who came out in the early 1970s and became a radical activist.
While Frances idolises Jimpa as a queer role model, he proves more cantankerous than expected, dismissing terms like 'queer' and 'bi' as evasive. This argument is described as the film's most lively moment, though it undercuts Hannah’s placid emphasis on 'kindness' and conflict avoidance. The film’s coming-of-age segments centred on Frances work slightly better, but overall the narrative is uncertain.
Critics note that Jimpa congratulates itself on its sensitivity but lacks the spark of Hyde’s earlier work, such as Animals. The film’s use of a disposable roll-film camera by the teen lead is called out as insufferable. Despite Lithgow and Colman’s focused performances, the film is seen as very indulgent and flat.
