Sometimes a film comes along that suffers from not enough story to come by, being based on a true story, or simply trying too hard to expand a simple premise. Four Good Days is one of the latest true stories to be released and while everything about it felt like it was made by a team who cared, I didn't think it completely worked as a narrative feature. When you have devoted performances, you can easily extend the length of your film, especially if they're carrying it well on their shoulders. With that said, here's why I believe Four Good Days doesn't really warrant a recommendation, even though you'll appreciate the film if you were to still give it a go.
After many years of drug addictions, Molly (Mila Kunis) returns home to seek help from her mother, Deb (Glenn Close), who at this point, wants nothing more to do with her. This set-up works perfectly for a film that will inevitably have a few emotional gut punches along the way. As I said, Kunis and Close really do carry this film from start to finish and I've never seen Kunis go as far, dramatically, as she did here, so props to her for that as well. There's nothing stellar here in terms of storytelling or performances, but I walked away from this movie feeling that I watched something that way put together by people who cared about the subject matter.
The road to recovery has been a story that many, many films have explored over the years, but too many of them feel like they're following the same formula as the last. Yes, this film cares deeply about the core characters and I'm sure this true story played out similarly, but too many films have this tone and feel when dealing with things of this nature. By a certain point, I began to see where it was heading and it ended up there without any big surprises. A great story does not always make a great movie and I think Four Good Days is a perfect example for that argument. It has all the makings for a wonderful drama, but it really felt like the filmmakers were stretching this material pretty far.
I can't get into too much detail with this review, particularly because the film begins in a bad place and leaves you hoping that the film will end in a much better place, which isn't enough. You either buy the characters and performances that will eventually make you emotional, or the movie won't work for you, it's really that simple for this one. There's nothing groundbreaking in terms of screenplay, cinematography, or even directing, so it truly did come down to whether or not these performers could take you on this journey. This was a more simplistic review from my end, but I just didn't feel that a breakdown was warranted here. It works emotionally, but it never goes further. It's far from a bad movie, but so much potential is wasted as well.
After many years of drug addictions, Molly (Mila Kunis) returns home to seek help from her mother, Deb (Glenn Close), who at this point, wants nothing more to do with her. This set-up works perfectly for a film that will inevitably have a few emotional gut punches along the way. As I said, Kunis and Close really do carry this film from start to finish and I've never seen Kunis go as far, dramatically, as she did here, so props to her for that as well. There's nothing stellar here in terms of storytelling or performances, but I walked away from this movie feeling that I watched something that way put together by people who cared about the subject matter.
The road to recovery has been a story that many, many films have explored over the years, but too many of them feel like they're following the same formula as the last. Yes, this film cares deeply about the core characters and I'm sure this true story played out similarly, but too many films have this tone and feel when dealing with things of this nature. By a certain point, I began to see where it was heading and it ended up there without any big surprises. A great story does not always make a great movie and I think Four Good Days is a perfect example for that argument. It has all the makings for a wonderful drama, but it really felt like the filmmakers were stretching this material pretty far.
I can't get into too much detail with this review, particularly because the film begins in a bad place and leaves you hoping that the film will end in a much better place, which isn't enough. You either buy the characters and performances that will eventually make you emotional, or the movie won't work for you, it's really that simple for this one. There's nothing groundbreaking in terms of screenplay, cinematography, or even directing, so it truly did come down to whether or not these performers could take you on this journey. This was a more simplistic review from my end, but I just didn't feel that a breakdown was warranted here. It works emotionally, but it never goes further. It's far from a bad movie, but so much potential is wasted as well.