Category Archives: Could Be Sad

2010, Could Be Sad, Drama, Play Adaptation, Wonderful acting

Rabbit Hole (2010)

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From NetFlix:

In this raw drama based on David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) grapple with the realities of life eight months after the death of their 4-year-old son, Danny. Even with Becca’s well-meaning mother (Dianne Wiest) offering comfort and weekly group therapy always available, the couple go about their own secret ways of coping. John Cameron Mitchell directs.

For a long time I resisted seeing this film because the underlying theme, the loss of a young child in an automobile mishap, is very difficult. Who knows how each of us would react in such a situation ? In fact, it took me a while to commiserate with Becca (Nicole Kidman) because she seemed to resist the healing process whereas her husband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) was desperate to work together for their life ahead without their son Danny.

All the acting was splendid. But hats off to all the wonderful supporting actors, each of whom did a great job:

  • Dianne Wiest (Becca’s mother) occupies a special place in my heart. We have seen her warm loving smile not only as a DA on “Law and Order” but also as the psychiatrist’s psychiatrist in “In Treatment”.
  • Sandra Oh (a mourning mother in the support group) we have seen as Patti in “Under the Tuscan Sun” and as Stephanie in “Sideways”.
  • Miles Teller is a young newcomer who delivers a pitch perfect performance as the teenager who accidentally killed Danny.
  • Jon Tenney is agent Rick Howard in “The Closer”. His part in this film is minimal but I was glad to see him as something besides the Closer’s FBI husband. He actually has a long list of credits beginning with 1986.

Congratulations to Eckhart (age 43) and Tenney (age 50) for staying in good physical shape while so many actors and actresses allow themselves to put on weight. But after all, folks, shouldn’t your acting profession require a lot of maintenance ?

If you have ever experienced such a dreadful loss, I can only believe that this marvelous film might be a very helpful view into the lives of a couple who have suffered similarly.

2010, Could be boring, Could Be Sad, Drama, Grim, Love Story, Not Feel Good, Nudity, Quiet, Sex Scenes, Slow, Unusual

Never Let Me Go (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel, this sci-fi drama from director Mark Romanek is centered on thirtysomething Kathy (Carey Mulligan), who reflects on her time spent at Hailsham, an English boarding school, alongside classmates Ruth (Keira Knightley) and Tommy (Andrew Garfield). Born for an unusual reason, the three struggle with their destiny and their love triangle. Charlotte Rampling plays headmistress Miss Emily.

Until I reached approximately page 72 of Ishiguro’s novel I could only suspect what was happening. Since I don’t do spoilers, you will have to wait (if you haven’t already guessed) until one of the characters gives us the insidious answer. If you can’t stand the suspense then you can find the answer in the Wikipedia article.

In order for the story to work you must suspend much disbelief. Quiet, understated, beautiful scenery, beautiful children, handsome young adults are the hallmark of the film. But there could be no rebellion for the story to succeed. You have to believe that what is happening is now completely accepted by the rest of the world. You have to believe that the progress of the story is inevitable.

It is quite possible that many of you will be bored to death. Slow and politely quiet as a whisper, expect no action whatsoever. “Sci-fi” is a just plain incorrect description. Quite possibly you will find the entire film grim.

Personally I loved the film and thought the ending achingly sad.

2010, Could Be Sad, Drama, Flirting, Gloomy, Not Feel Good, Quiet, Wonderful acting

Another Year (2010)

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From NetFlix:

Over the course of a tumultuous year, contented medical counselor Gerri (Ruth Sheen) and her geologist husband, Tom (Jim Broadbent), see their friends and relations through a series of happy events and heartbreaks — including a birth and a death. Imelda Staunton and Oliver Maltman co-star in this character-driven ensemble dramedy from writer-director Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky, Vera Drake, Secrets & Lies).

British in every sense: quiet, perfectly acted, not a pretty or handsome face to be seen, miserable teeth, and downright depressing.

More than anything, this film is a study in faces. Have you any idea how difficult it is for an actor when the camera stays fixedly focused on that actor’s face ? Just watch Lesley Manville’s character Mary tell the whole story with the mere movement of her eyes. I could have watched her for the entire film’s length.

Another theme here is loneliness.

What is really scary is that we all know people just like the characters in the story. Mary is an aging lonely neurotic alcoholic who never managed to reach a sensible maturity. Ken is a lonely overweight man who is slowly but surely drinking and eating himself to death. Tom’s widower brother is a zombie who has no idea how to go on living after the death of his wife and whose estranged son is a real mental case.

Another theme is kindness and love.

Tom and Gerri (OK, laugh it up) are an older couple in love and very kind people who try to help Mary and Ken. Mary desperately flirts with the couple’s much younger son Joe and acts like an abandoned lover when Joe gets a wonderful girlfriend Kate. Even then Gerri can forgive Mary’s outrageous behavior.

Although I have done my best to paint a really depressing picture, do not miss this pitch perfect production.

1985, Conspiracy, Could Be Sad, Docudrama, Drama, Latino Culture, Not Feel Good, Spanish, Torture, Violent

The Official Story (1985)

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From NetFlix:

Argentinean schoolteacher Alicia (Norma Aleandro) is forced to question her government’s official story of the “Dirty War” of the 1970s when she suspects that her adopted daughter, Gaby, may be the child of a murdered political prisoner. But her quest for truth takes a heavy toll on her relationship with her conservative husband (Héctor Alterio). This wrenching historical drama won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1986.

To appreciate this film it might help to read the Economist’s obituary of Emilio Massera.

Nothing brings history to life more than a film that puts us in contact with that period of history. Spain and consequently Latin America have a long history of bloody conflicts between liberals and conservatives. As a horrific example we have the “Dirty War” of the 1970s in Argentina. Massera was convicted of murder and torture in 1985, the same year in which this film was made. So making this film in 1985 must have taken some courage. In part of the film you see the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo marching. They started to march in 1977. The founder of the Mothers was put in a concentration camp. She and two others were “disappeared”.

Both husband and wife characters are excellent actors. She represents the comfortable upper class women who prefer to understand nothing of politics. He represents the conservatives who hated liberals and thought nothing of murdering supposedly liberal mothers (many were innocent bystanders) and then adopting their orphans. Their marriage and the sadness that ensues is a metaphor for the division in Argentina.

There is no actual rape or torture shown. Rather the wife’s lifelong girl friend relates how she was tortured and raped by the conservative Argentinian Naval officers.

The scene in which Alicia goes to (Catholic) confession shows the hypocritical complicity of the Catholic hierarchy who were for the most part conservative supporters of the “Dirty War”. You can read about the role of the Argentinian Catholic hierarchy in the “Dirty War”.

Spanish with subtitles. Note the absence of “s” in the Argentinian accent.

2009, Could Be Sad, Drama, Gay theme, Hebrew, Nudity, Religious Theme, Sex Scenes

Eyes Wide Open (2009)

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From NetFlix:

Married Jerusalem butcher Aaron (Zohar Strauss) takes pity on homeless student Ezri (Ran Danker) and hires him to work in his shop. But when romantic sparks fly between the unlikely pair, Aaron’s wife, Rivkeh (Tinkerbell), becomes increasingly suspicious. The stern Orthodox community disapproves, and a menacing group of “modesty guards” monitors Aaron’s every move in this tragic drama, an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

Who knew that Israel had “Thought Police” ? Let us assume that this quiet, sad, well-acted Israeli film truthfully portrays life among the conservative Jews. What we see, besides an obsessive religious observance, is neighbor spying on neighbor with often violent results. There are two parallel developments. On the one hand a young woman, betrothed by arrangement, is having an affair with a different young man. Eventually the neighbor Vigilantes of Righteousness confront and threaten the young man. The butcher ironically is part of this gang at the same time as in the second parallel stream he is having a homosexual affair with his assistant in his butcher shop, which affair has come under the Thought Police radar. Eventually the affair catches up with the pair. I will spoil no further.

In Hebrew with subtitles.

Sad revelation about conservative Israeli life.

2005, Book Review, Could be boring, Could Be Sad, Grim, Love Story, Novel, Unusual

Never Let Me Go (2005)

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Kazuo Ishiguro and his family moved to England when he was 6 years old. He was educated in schools in England. He writes in English. You may read more about him in Wikipedia. He is probably best know for an earlier novel “Remains of the Day” which was made into a film with Anthony Hopkins.

My copy of “Never Let Me Go” was the paperback Vintage edition. I tell you this because I refer to page 81. If you know nothing about this novel (and I try to avoid spoilers) then you might not appreciate what is happening until you reach page 81 at which point the lightning strikes. After that the novel can seem many things: strange, creepy, grim, or quite possibly boring. Because I always try to give a book a fighting chance I plowed onward determinedly. Because the premise is so threatening I just had to find out what happens to the characters. At least be forewarned this much: do not expect fireworks. Finally for me the overwhelming emotion was sadness.

2004, Could Be Sad, Gay theme, Love Story, Nudity, Sex Scenes, Unusual

A Home At The End Of The World (2004)

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From NetFlix:

Boyhood pals Bobby (Colin Farrell) and Jonathan (Dallas Roberts) both love the same woman (Robin Wright Penn), but in different ways. (For one thing, Jonathan is gay). Yet, undaunted, they all try to make a life together — and even have a baby — in 1980s New York. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Cunningham’s novel gets deft treatment in this story about a troika of close friends who enter into an unconventional living arrangement.

Am I so conventional that I wonder if the sweet but decidedly unconventional situations portrayed in the film are even possible ?

All around the acting is excellent. Colin Farrell was 28 when he made this film. He comes off as just a sweet, loving, accepting, and somewhat naive young man whose worst fear is being alone. Is this character too good to be true ?

I can hardly believe that Sissy Spacek (who plays the mother-stepmother to the two men) was 55 when she made this film. She has a beauty that seems too young for 55 (or am I age prejudiced ?). The scene in which the boys teach her to smoke pot is priceless.

Dallas Roberts is convincing as a not especially happy gay man who loves Robin Wright Penn AND Colin Farrell. It is novel to see Farrell’s character remain completely straight yet allow himself to show real physical affection toward Roberts (dancing, hugging, kissing, but that’s it!). In our society would that even be possible ?

2010, Chick Flick, Could Be Sad, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children, Love Story, Military, Sex Scenes, War

Dear John (2010)

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From NetFlix:

While on leave, U.S. soldier John Tyree (Channing Tatum) falls for Southern college student Savannah (Amanda Seyfried), whose ideals and heartfelt principles are at once attractive and unfamiliar. But their love is put on hold when terrorist attacks prompt John to reenlist. Now, handwritten letters hold the lovers together. Lasse Hallstrom directs this modern romance based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.

As the film started I thought “Why on earth am I watching a PG-13 ?” (the one sex scene is so discreet as to be non-existent). Indeed the beginning of the film seemed like an ordinary chick flick. But there are enough worthwhile themes here to make the story interesting.

Richard Jenkins plays John Tyree’s autistic father. Just yesterday I reviewed The Confession (1999) in which Richard Jenkins plays a crooked politician. He plays the part of a father who loves his son but whose autism prevents him from expressing that love openly. There is one very touching scene between the two.

Channing Tatum has appeared in Stop-Loss (2008) which is another war film.

Amanda Seyfried is Chloe (2009) in the film of the same name.

This could be a tear-jerker.

Forgive my scepticism. I do not know enough about autism. But is it at all believable that an autistic man marries, has a normal son, and when the wife abandons the family while that boy is pre-school the father raises the boy to maturity ? And could that son do such selfless deeds ?

2001, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama

The Man From Elysian Fields (2001)

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From NetFlix:

After failing to get his latest book published, a Los Angeles novelist (Andy Garcia) finds it difficult to pay the bills and support his wife (Julianna Margulies) and son. He’s compelled to take a job with an elite male escort service called Elysian Fields (run by Mick Jagger) … which leads to him having an affair with the beautiful wife (Olivia Williams) of one of the world’s most successful writers (James Coburn), whom he also befriends

Again thanks to NetFlix for suggesting this touching, sad, well-written, beautifully acted small gem of a film. How is it that conversations in films can fall flat but some, even with somewhat ordinary content, can just sparkle and feel perfectly natural and right ? I guess it is a tribute to the actors in this film.

At first the Puritan in me rebelled against the idea that an author dying of diabetes would want his wife to be sexually satisfied by a male escort but eventually I bought into the idea. This film is neither tawdry nor titillating. Somehow it all just works.

Be prepared for some nasty plot twists. Be prepared for real sadness.

Nine years may not be a long time, but the actors’ physical appearance has changed a bit. Andy Garcia was incredibly handsome. For a while I did not recognize Julianna Margulies who is now having an enormous success in the wonderful TV series “The Good Wife”. I also did not recognize Olivia Williams as the prim, bespeckled but caring teacher in the film An Education (2008). And who knew that Mick Jagger was such a good actor. James Coburn is perfect as the obliging and dying famous author.

2008, Could Be Sad, Drama, Explicit sex, Military

The Messenger (2008)

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From NetFlix:

An injured U.S. soldier, Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster), is paired up with by-the-book Capt. Tony Stone (Oscar nominee Woody Harrelson) to notify families of killed soldiers — a job that bonds them as they debate different views on serving America. At odds at first, the two find common ground while facing life’s variety of battles. Oren Moverman directs this poignant military tale that co-stars Samantha Morton and Jena Malone.

You might expect a film about notifying next of kin to border on being maudlin. On the contrary, the film successfully avoids sentimentality mostly due to the varied and unexpected reactions of the next of kin.

It used to be that American film stars, as opposed to British stars, had to be beautiful or handsome. Ben Foster is ordinary looking and he steals the show. (He was the psycho Charlie Prince in 3:10 to Yuma (2007)). Samantha Morton is no runway model but she is perfect in this film. (She was the Irish immigrant mother in In America (2002)). Steve Buscemi has a wonderful minor part. Woody Harrelson plays Woody Harrelson.

Not perfect, but worth the watch.