Saturday, December 08, 2012
GROWN UP
Today's film was Kenneth Lonergan's
with Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo as a grown up brother and sister who lost their parents when they were subteens. There is a son, and nephew, Rory Kulkin and a frustrating boss for the mom, Matthew Broderick.
This is a tale of longing and incompletion. In many ways it is a bleak realization of the inability of many adults to move out of a track that started for them when they were kids.
In this case, they were young kids, no parents.
The brother seems to be a ne'er do well. The sister, now a long divorced loan officer in a bank. Worlds apart.
Tension when the brother comes back to town for a short visit.
This is a character study. A gentle and loving acceptance of life on life's terms. A realization that no matter where you have been or where you are going there is, indeed, someone, somewhere you can count on. Even if it shaky.
I saw this when it came out and perhaps once more before this. It always surprises. This time, it was Lonergan himself who plays a counseling pastor who stood out. A sane voice in the midst who knows that people really cannot heed what he is saying and loves them anyway.
Broderick also improves in the latest viewing. He is truly a dick but like the others, sort of on automatic as he copes with a bad marriage to a mean woman.
The Culkin kid is the best of the Culkin lot. Very sweet and stubborn. Yes. He can be both. He will be fine.
And of course, Linney and Ruffalo are so powerfully real. Achingly so.
I got this film again because tomorrow or next day I am seeing Lonergan's second film which somehow missed the big time but is a favorite of many.
We will see.
Lonergan is a stage guy and a successful writer for films. Only two films directed. He wrote the screenplay for Gangs of New York which is the complete opposite of this wonderful small gem.
Did I say that it is a 5 out of Netflix5?
Labels: films
