What we have here is an engaging character study, full of surprises and enlightening moments. It is from a screenplay by Tracy Letts based on her own play. It is a film in which all differences are not resolved, some people are not left happy, and where endings aren't always clear-cut and solidly defined. This is not being critical though. It is a film which reflects truth and reality very well, in fact. This is the real world where things can be complicated.
Meryl Streep stars as an aging woman with cancer who's husband (Sam Shepard) disappears one night. He turns up dead a few days later and this brings Streep's family to the household in Osage County for the funeral. The family consists of three daughters, a sister and their respective families. The film examines their relationships, interactions, and differences over the course of a week when this somewhat dysfunctional family comes together.
The daughters of Streep's character are played by Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis, and Julianne Nicholson. Their husbands and lovers are played by Ewan MacGregor, Dermot Mulroney, and Benedict Cumberbatch. All the performances in this movie are top-notch and heighten the overall realistic nature of the story. Both Roberts and Streep were nominated for acting Oscars and the film was nominated for Best Picture at the 2014 Oscars. All nominations were deserving.
This film speaks about family dysfunction and how dysfunctional relationships are passed on from generation to generation. Some members of the family are able to deal with it better than others depending on their wills and personalities. There are buried family secrets that are brought to light over the course of the film that are refreshing in their candor and narrative originality.
Mixed with the high drama are moments of humor that dispel the serious nature of the screenplay. The characters are realistic and natural. The hot days of summer are palpable. This is one of the best films of 2013.
No comments:
Post a Comment