Red_Identity
The title of this review says there are amazing performances, which is perhaps a lie. The performances are definitely strong, but it's Laura Dern who really packs a bigger punch than the other three. She has perhaps the meatiest material and she knocks it out of the park, she's powerful and sad and heartbreaking to watch, while at the same time very flawed. Dern should feel proud of stealing this film away. Watts and Ruffalo are good, but Krause seems to be half asleep during this. I guess it doesn't help that he has the least amount of screen time, but there could have been something to latch on to in his portrayal. As it is there's nothing. Strong film though.
scoup
I was not repulsed by Laura Dern's clear case of anorexia.I wanted to punch her in her face. Her husband probably can not stand to look at her and the marriage is failing because who can respect a shrew like her. The scene where she is having sex with him is disgusting - all bones are showing and the sinewy muscles creep me out.It is very distracting to watch a movie when an actor's glaring personal problem overshadows all else. I spent most of the movie imagining her own personal self-loathing which has driven her to this place. Successful family and career, but something else below the surface. Directors should realize that it does not help a movie when they employ actors with problems. I would have made her eat each day in front of me before I began filming. I stopped watching her cable show for the same reason. I wish she gets helps.This is not a bashing post, but I am truly tired of watching movies and seeing this issue.So many people in the world who can't get 3 squares a day...what a lucky society we live in...all hail the pursuit of size zero.
grindhouse_fan
This is a masterwork. Laura Dern's performance was really stunning. Not all actresses can reach that kind of performance. Naomi Watts' performance was also amazing. All of the performances but specially those two.So, We Don't Live Here Anymore is a serious movie about love and adultery, right?, unfaithful. This is a work made with subtleness, with passion, with great artistry. This is a deep reflection of love, of how real couples have real problems. In the films of this kind (romance, I mean) the life is always pink, you know? It's always represented in pink. But, as 'Closer', this movie takes a deep look into love, relationships, into real life.At some point, the movie feels a little slow. But the characters and the dialogues are so amazingly real that you don't feel that this is fiction. This was very misunderstood by the Academy Awards. And by the critics. But, there are times where people don't know when they're watching a good movie. This is a movie of people of open criterion, I mean, liberal people, not the kind of people that are scared of all things. Verdict: Oscar-worthy picture. My awards for this movie would be: Best Picture, Best Director (John Curran, OMG! He made an excellent work), Best Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Best Actrees (Laura Dern), Best Supporting Actrees (Naomi Watts) and Best Writing, Screenplay Based From Another Material (Larry Gross, based upon the short stories: 'We Don't Live Here Anymore and 'Adultery by Andre Dubus). And by the way it's not a B- movie. FLAWLESS.***** out of *****
Milbourne Whitt
This one really shocked me. After so many good stories, and superb character acting from Laura Dern, I didn't know a movie could be this bad! Why do I say that? Because this movie had no beginning, no middle and no end. It just went on until somebody got tired. Even the men stars seemed scroungy, unkempt, long hair, unshaven, and looked like railroad bums. LD is probably the greatest female character actor to ever hit Hollywood, but even the best needs a story. "Afterburn", "Damaged Care", and "Citizen Ruth" provided her with a powerful character to be and she handled them well. This woman will never has to live with the words, "co-star" because she IS the star, something few women can boast about. By the way, "Daddy and Them" and "Dr. T and the Women" were almost as bad...no real story there either. I'll bet she knows this too. Thanks.
AD
