Mockingbird Pictures,
Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Robin Williams, Amy Brenneman, Jess Weixler
Nikki (Annette Bening) is a widow. He husband, Garrett (Ed Harris) was suddenly killed while on a beach vacation, and she is still suffering from the loss. But when she accidentally bumps into a man who looks exactly like her husband, she fakes an interest in art (Tom ((Ed Harris)) is an art teacher) him to be close to him. Soon she feels for him, much to the chagrin of her long torch carrying neighbor Roger (Robin Williams).
This was one of the last looks at Robin Williams, and though it’s a small part, it’s very difficult to watch now that we know how Robin ended up as it is a darkly depressing role for him. But all in all this was a very disturbing film for me. It looks like a romance/comedy type of film, and that’s more of what I expected. But the actors in this film are so excellent in their roles, and the script allows them to really develop their characters a great deal. We really dig into Nikki’s psyche, looking at the deep anger she buried at Garrett when he dies foolishly and leaves her all alone. She hasn’t really dealt with it, although she’s convinced she has put it behind her. And Tom’s role as her new love, is really unaware of the dangerous mindset Nikki is in as he has no idea of her history. All in all it was fascinating to watch, very deep and thought provoking, but all together quite unsettling. I cannot figure out who I felt sorry for most in this movie! Nikki and her daughter, Tom, and neighbor Roger are all in a sad place and they all really need a hug. If you like slow moving films with lots of dialog and great character development you’re probably going to enjoy this. I once heard of a guy who had a flap of skin on his stomach where his doctor could see inside to view the effect of things (like drinking alcohol) on his internal organs. That’s just how I felt watching this, which is why I think it unsettled me so much. If it sounds like an interesting topic to you, I’d say give it a try. It’s a well made film.
EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog
