Not many mainstream audiences like Don Roos' films. They're overpopulated with snarky, whining, generally unlikable characters.
From Dee Dee Truitt's (Christina Ricci) blackmailing, lying, whoring sociopath/heroine in "The Opposite of Sex," to Lisa Kudrow's emotionally repressed and hostile Abortion Counselor in "Happy Endings," to Natalie Portman's turn as a rage-twisted woman-child in this film, his scripts don't court your approval and neither do the actors. They are, however, despite their flaws, realistically and compassionately rendered.
I was filled with dread when I first heard about this movie. Natalie filling in for J-Lo was a promising development, but what did that say about the material?
Wisely, Roos doesn't take you through the whole, well-worn story arc from start to finish, sequentially. He isolates much of the history in flashbacks and that makes you understand more what he's after. It's not to rehash the old I-lost-my-baby soap opera as much as it intends to focus your attention on how caustic, self-absorbed, and manipulative Natalie Portman's character, Amelia, is --- even if she doesn't yet realize it. It's also about the jagged, slow-nurturing relationship between Amelia and her stepson Wiliam, a very believable Charlie Tahan.
That's saying a lot since Tahan is playing one of those supremely obnoxious child-of-privilege roles that can only be found today. He's more focused on his food allergies and affecting superior airs than on having fun or being a kid. He does, however, have a great BS detector and is much more aware of what's really going on than is typical for a child of 11. In a way, Amelia and he share the same emotional maturity level, but William, perhaps, better deals with it.
All of these dynamics make for a much more substantial and complex film, taking it beyond the realm of mere soap opera or time waster. For fans of Kudrow and Roos' collaborations, there's a big payoff in a scene with Portman and Kudrow in her medical office. Kudrow once again proves she can project about three or four emotions at one time, effectively, in a single scene, sometimes all at once. You may not like her or her character, but it's hard to refute not meeting people like her.
As I said, I was all ready to hate on this film, but I should have known better. Don Roos once again proves he's virtually incapable of writing false characters. For that, we should be thankful.
From Dee Dee Truitt's (Christina Ricci) blackmailing, lying, whoring sociopath/heroine in "The Opposite of Sex," to Lisa Kudrow's emotionally repressed and hostile Abortion Counselor in "Happy Endings," to Natalie Portman's turn as a rage-twisted woman-child in this film, his scripts don't court your approval and neither do the actors. They are, however, despite their flaws, realistically and compassionately rendered.
I was filled with dread when I first heard about this movie. Natalie filling in for J-Lo was a promising development, but what did that say about the material?
Wisely, Roos doesn't take you through the whole, well-worn story arc from start to finish, sequentially. He isolates much of the history in flashbacks and that makes you understand more what he's after. It's not to rehash the old I-lost-my-baby soap opera as much as it intends to focus your attention on how caustic, self-absorbed, and manipulative Natalie Portman's character, Amelia, is --- even if she doesn't yet realize it. It's also about the jagged, slow-nurturing relationship between Amelia and her stepson Wiliam, a very believable Charlie Tahan.
That's saying a lot since Tahan is playing one of those supremely obnoxious child-of-privilege roles that can only be found today. He's more focused on his food allergies and affecting superior airs than on having fun or being a kid. He does, however, have a great BS detector and is much more aware of what's really going on than is typical for a child of 11. In a way, Amelia and he share the same emotional maturity level, but William, perhaps, better deals with it.
All of these dynamics make for a much more substantial and complex film, taking it beyond the realm of mere soap opera or time waster. For fans of Kudrow and Roos' collaborations, there's a big payoff in a scene with Portman and Kudrow in her medical office. Kudrow once again proves she can project about three or four emotions at one time, effectively, in a single scene, sometimes all at once. You may not like her or her character, but it's hard to refute not meeting people like her.
As I said, I was all ready to hate on this film, but I should have known better. Don Roos once again proves he's virtually incapable of writing false characters. For that, we should be thankful.