Michael Ledo
Sherwin (David Oyelowo) and Fiona (Hani Furstenberg) are a mixed race couple living in Atlanta. When Fiona dies in an auto accident, Lucinda (Dianne Wiest), Fiona's mother, Invites Sherwin to come up to Maine for a bit. Why? I have no idea. And why he went is even more puzzling. Lucinda has cancer and is combative much of the time, with moments of near pleasantry. The film is a drama of his stay, discovering his wife's past, and mom's apparently trying to cope with her daughter's death, one that she was not as close as she could have been.DRAMA SPOILER: Of course IT does come up and is perhaps the crux of the issue. Fiona, the ever liberal, chose to be with a black man as a way of rebellion. Lucinda and Sherwin try to understand Fiona and come to terms with her death.The film was all light drama. The acting was good, but the film dealt a lot with grief and attempts at Maniac humor were light.Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
kosmasp
Let's say the inciting incident (or rather accident) happens early on in the movie. And while it is always important to know someone to mourn them (especially the way she's being mourned here), we do have to do that while on the journey. The journey of moving on, which may sound like a pun, but is anything but funny.So this is full on Drama and anyone who lost someone dear to them, by whatever circumstances, should be able to empathize even without a deep connection from the get go. Still this is heavy and the question is if you want to watch something like that. If you do there are the actors who really do their part as good as possible. Dianne West and our main character are the driving forces, but it's also nice to see Rosie Perez back in Action. Decent enough, if you can cope with it
Bill Jordan
Three first-rate performers made me think this was going to be good. In fact, I kept watching and waiting for the ah-ha moment. But it never comes, and the movie ends with no resolution of anything. Nothing is ever explained. What is it that had the wife so upset the night before her death (or some short time prior at least)? What caused the conflict between the wife and her mother? Why did the mother invite the husband to her home, and why did he accept? Certainly, she never seemed like she actually wanted him there and he didn't seem like he wanted to be there. Sure, I can understand two people sharing their grief, but there is nothing but tension between them save for a brief moment or two. Why did the husband bring the wife's ashes on his visit, then lie about it - and what did he do with them in the end. Far too many unanswered questions for me to enjoy this film, though the performances are very good, as expected. Watch only if you want to find solace in it being over.
subxerogravity
The reviews on it were right. The film is all about David Oyelowo and Dianne Wiest bouncing things off each other, and it's got that going for it, that two such great actors can hold down a film all by themselves, but you do have to like Oyelowo and Wiest a lot to really like the movie.It's one of those movies that does not really have a point or expresses it in such low key that only someone watching who has been in that position could really reflect on what is going on and fully feel the emotion.It's not that pin point of a situation. A man loses his wife in a car accident and the only one who can relate is his Mother-In-Law, but she is a pain in the neck even after her child's death (although she's dying from cancer so give her a break). This is a harsh situation while they're grievingAlso thought Rosie Perez was great too in the small role she had. Wish it had more of her because I like seeing her on the screen a lot.It was good that the director and writer did have three really good actors to implement their material. They were the redeemable factor in the mediocre film.
AD
