Great acting - CHECK. Interesting story - CHECK. Deep subtext - CHECK. Enjoyable - NOT SO MUCH.
This movie is one of those films that's an actors' performance movie, you know what I mean? It's one of those films you really want to enjoy and when you don't, you feel like you want to force yourself to enjoy it because you're an intellectual damn it! The thought of only enjoying the paper-thin plot movies is really frightening! This film does have a wonderful story, really deep themes of family secrets being exposed, repairing withering relationships, self-redemption, etc. Mostly, there was not a lot to raise you up emotionally, it felt like I was just watching a really complex and deep family rift with little hope of resolve. Granted, that's real life often times, but I don't want that from a film necessarily. Having said that, I would say it taught me to look at my own life and think about the concept of time, of mortality, to look at the walls that prevent us from living.
Keep an eye on Jack Black, as many reviews have stated, he is a definite surprise in this film. Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Jason Leigh aren't really a surprise, because they were flawless and I come to expect this from them. This is not the Nicole Kidman ice-queen you're used to seeing. I mean, it is but it's so much more.
If you want to know more about this film, click here.
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