| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 12/13/2013 : 15:28:21
I'd read so much about this film, Gandolfini's farewell, I felt I had seen it.
Actually doing so didn't bring any big revelations, and certainly confirms the screen skills of an actor whose later career was dominated by The Sopranos. Here, he's a middle-aged shlub, disillusioned with life after divorce and protected by an awfully appealing line in one-liners, snappy come-backs, and other indicators of wit.
As a similarly dissatisfied character, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss enters his life, in the guise of a peripatetic masseuse, maybe a bit too naive about her own development but with a finely-honed nurturing maternal sense.
Yep, there's a twist, which I won't spoil for you, and which redirects their growing relationship with the jolt of these amusement park bumper car rides.
The acting at all levels is terrific. I'm not entirely convinced that director Nicole Holofcener has escaped from the confines of her television background, but she's produced a very watchable and economical hour and a half. The film is dedicated to the late Gandolfini - quite right, too!
|
|
|
