FILMBRATS - REVIEWS

Sarah Pierce is struggling to find herself. She has a successful husband, a big house and a young girl that she takes to the park. But no matter what she does, she can’t seem to fit in with the other moms within the town. Maybe she really doesn’t want to. Enter Brad Adamson. The moms at the park call him the prom king. He’s a dad also trying to find his self worth. He’s “studying” to become a lawyer although he failed the bar twice already. He has a wife that supports him in every sense of the word, but for some reason that’s just not enough. When these two drifting souls come together, maybe they’ll both find whatever intangible thing it is that they’re looking for.

This is one of the very few movies that I saw without any prior knowledge of the plot or even the general themes involved. It may have been better that I didn’t, because I was completely enthralled almost instantly. As soon as I heard that smoky, deep-voiced narrator (Will Lyman, “Frontline”) begin his poetic and vivid descriptions, I knew this movie was going to be something special. Thousands of movies have used narration before, but few so effectively. This is the best example of how voice-over can lend fascinating novelization to a plot without ever taking away from the cinematic appeal. You still feel like you’re watching a movie – it’s just a great one with an otherworldly presence taking you deeper into all the emotional questions and games that the outstanding performances could never truly provide. Even with the narrator, not everything is explained to you.

In fact, I found myself wanting more narration. It would have been great to see some of the more minor characters get that special treatment. But ultimately it isn’t needed and probably would have been over doing it if it was in there. I also wanted to see more of Sarah’s husband. We’re only offered a brief glimpse into his own fascinating array of subtle quirks and inner problems. Honestly, I just wanted to know more about all of their lives. There’s so much depth to be found within all of the characters, it’s impossible to touch on it all within the confines of the very quick-moving 130-minute running time.

Simply put, the film is an unassuming cinematic gem that houses a masterful literary work of art. The endearing and intriguing characters are unusual enough to keep your interest while never becoming cartoons. The non-flashy, yet effective camerawork sets the perfect backdrop both physically and psychologically. The film is draped in blacks; whether it’s the mise-en-scene or the snippets of pure black placed in between certain shots the effect is visceral. Yet somehow the stunning photography is still able to give off the contrasting feeling of an idyllic 1950s suburban paradise.

The key point to take away is that nothing is as it seems. The amazing script, co-written by director Todd Field (“In the Bedroom”) and Tom Perrotta (based off his novel) delves deep into not only the characters’ feelings about each other, but also about your feelings about them. It forces you to think about perspective. Look out for the line “We’re all miracles,” and consider the source of the message and its recipient. You’ll get the idea. The movie is at different times funny, heartfelt, heart-breaking, melodramatic, mysterious, tense and always incredible. The insane build up to the climax of this picture got me more worked up than any other film this year. It is nothing short of incredible and I simply can’t recommend it highly enough.

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