This film brought, once again, into relief the differences between American and British ways of telling stories on screen. I put my hand up to the generalisation and my bias.
Spoiler In this film the characters have a scene in front of a TV day show. The event doesn't become pivotal which it often does in American movies which seem to make sacred anything with a big audience.
I thought the acting was great. Toni Collette does an excellent job portraying a dowdy frightened mother. Sam Neil is also called on to underplay his poor parenting and does that well.
Pierce Bronson presents a relatable, once again underplayed, humiliated celebrity, and doesn't hog the screen.
Another movie cultural difference is that during the fight scene there doesn't need to be a speech or some sort of reconciliation, there's just mess.
There was not a big deal made of 'why' the characters were seriously contemplating suicide. There were not problems to solve, which to me is another difference between American and British story telling. The characters unfolded themselves, flowering in subtle complexities. I loved that.
Spoiler In this film the characters have a scene in front of a TV day show. The event doesn't become pivotal which it often does in American movies which seem to make sacred anything with a big audience.
I thought the acting was great. Toni Collette does an excellent job portraying a dowdy frightened mother. Sam Neil is also called on to underplay his poor parenting and does that well.
Pierce Bronson presents a relatable, once again underplayed, humiliated celebrity, and doesn't hog the screen.
Another movie cultural difference is that during the fight scene there doesn't need to be a speech or some sort of reconciliation, there's just mess.
There was not a big deal made of 'why' the characters were seriously contemplating suicide. There were not problems to solve, which to me is another difference between American and British story telling. The characters unfolded themselves, flowering in subtle complexities. I loved that.