20 May 2012

One of The Best Movies I Have Seen

How can you lose with a cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart and Dianne Wiest. I am not much of a Drama movie fan but this is one of the best ever. You can easily identify with the characters and understand their different views on the subject matter. Nicole was an Academy Award nominee for this film and it is easy to see why. She is perhaps the best actress of this generation. This film will make you laugh, cry and feel better for having seen it. You will be talking about this movie long after it's over. I have recommended this film to many many friends and every one of my friends loved it. If you see one drama film this year, make it "Rabbit Hole".

19 May 2012

Painful and appropriate,

This review is from: Rabbit Hole [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) This is as unbiased as a film about losing a child can be. Anyone who hasn't lost a child simply can't understand the unique pain, or the problems that attend this loss. I found the resolution of the film abrupt, but I can understand that that a time may come when the death of ones child may become bearable. Reason doesn't need to enter here. I can't imagine how I would have responded to this film of I hadn't lost me son. I found it, if not enjoyable, suitable. I certainly sympathized with the desire to connect with young people involved with the child's death. Death and loss makes for a unique intimacy...

Matt_Layden

16 May 2012

And so this is just the sad version of us...

Rabbit Hole is a mature film. It's hard to describe what that means,but that's how I felt when I was watching it. Aaron Eckhart and NicoleKidman are a grieving couple. Their son was killed, hit by a car. Whatmakes this film different is that we are introduced to these two afterthat has happened. Their son was killed several months ago and the filmis about these two characters trying their best to move on.Kidman gives one of her best performances in years. The hardest thing Ibelieve a parent has to do is outlive their child. Kidman gives amulti-layered performance that is both restrained and lavish in detail.She is trying her best to move on with her life, she wants to moveaway, start over. Her husband, Eckhart, doesn't want that. He watches avideo of his son on his phone almost every night. He goes to supportgroups to deal with the pain. He gets angry when Kidman takes downtheir child's drawings from the fridge. He thinks she is trying toerase his memory. Can these two characters stay together even thoughthey both want different things? Eckhart, in my opinion, holds the film together with his performance.Kidman gets the glory from the reviews, but it's Eckhart that managesto hold things together. when he's on the screen, you feel the sense ofloss in his face. It's not an actor trying to portray a man who haslost his son. Few actors manage to hit that area where they are onscreen and it seems flawless. Eckhart has done that with this role. The film is rich with great performances from the smaller supportingcharacters as well. Dianne Wiest is Kidman's mother who also lost achild. She tries to be a helping hand, but Kidman won't let her. Realfamily with real problems, nothing here is Hollywood coated. JohnCameron Mitchell's third feature, his two previous efforts wereindependent films. The rock opera Hedwig and the Angry Inch and thesexual exploring Short Bus. Both I thought were good films. Mitchellseems like a focused director who wants to explore topics that no onewants to touch. I admire that. This film in the wrong hands could havebeen manipulative melodrama. There is a small subplot involving a teenager that some might not likethat much. I found that it was just an outlet for one character whilean obstacle for the other. Rabbit Hole is a tad slow, but theperformances are enough to keep you engaged. Ebert said in his reviewthat he knew what the move was going to be about, but he was impressedwith how it was told. I feel the same way.

priyantha-bandara

16 May 2012

There is so much beauty in this sad and depressing movie.

Becca and Howie is not a happy couple any more. They have lost theiryoung son Danny eight months ago and now the big house seems to havegone empty with the lives of the people who are still living in it.They struggle to recover, yet day by day engulfed by the grief doesn'tseem to find a connection to be happy as a couple. They try counseling,recovery groups yet within them every moment of their life is a painfulstep. Both Becca and Howie become distant and try to find their comfortin others. Becca starts to meet up with a teenager who apparently thedriver of the car which killed Danny. And Howie finds comfort with awoman who attends to the group therapy.You may judge each move of these two people countless times. But thestory thoughtfully lay down the decisions by itself by the time the endtitles role. More than being just a mundane drama with a familiar plotRabbit Hole delivers powerful performances and twists in the storywhich makes it special.Nicole Kidman is annoyingly yet wonderfully portrays Becca which is avery challenging role in her recent career. She deserves every awardand the nominations for this role. And Aaron Eckhart delivers the bestperformance that I can recall of him. For him its pure rage andaffection bundled in to one staggering movie. And the rest of the castare well balanced and gives the maximum contribution on and off withoutmaking the story move any way further from the main subject.There is so much beauty in this sad and depressing movie. You may findmoments that shock you and moment that make you annoyed. And momentswhich absolutely make you helpless. That's the power of Rabbit Hole.Two thumbs up!! my reviews at flickshout.tk

16 May 2012

An emotional black hole

Rabbit hole is the story of hope and coping after a tragedy. A couple, Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart try to pick up the pieces of their life, while trying to keep their sanity and marriage intact after the loss of their son about eight months earlier. A very subtle film but deeply emotional and poignant in the pain that this tragedy has inflicted on this couple. Hard to watch at times because of the grief and sadness involved. Three stars.

IMDB_Vits

15 May 2012

Attention personnel, theres a bitch slap in Aisle 3 ().

Starring: Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as the people who went down aRABBIT HOLE.Almost at the beginning, BECCA has a problem with the religious couplefrom the support group. It was meant to show how her mother hadaffected her, but it also showed how people try to understand whycertain things happen. I'm not saying there can't be a reason, ofcourse there can be, but some people (like that couple) use that questas a way to not deal with their grief. Of course BECCA & HOWIE's waysto grieve aren't the most ideal either, but that clearly is done onpurpose to set the example. The movie doesn't tell us what thosereasons are. But it's not because they didn't try, it's because theyshifted our focus.You see, if this had been a movie about a couple who lost their son, itprobably would've been a melodrama full of crying scenes. But this is amovie about a couple who lost their son 8 months ago. They're lookingfor some sort of guide to know what to do next, and eventually, to knowwhere their lives are heading. I believe that literally every movie canbe summed up by one of it's scenes, if necessary or course. This onecan be summed up by a scene where BECCA & HOWIE are making plans forthe next day. Every couple of seconds, one asks "And then what?", andthe other replies "I don't know".So what is the problem with this movie? It's confusing on whether itjust wanted to portray grief, or if it actually wanted to advicepeople. Because of this indecision it didn't show as much insight as itcould've. But the movie is never boring, not even when the charactersare bored.Grades: C in the U.S. and 5,0 in Chile.

mikezexcel

15 May 2012

Builds and doesnt let go

I happen to be a fun, not-too-serious guy who has fallen hard for tworecent "death" movies! HEREAFTER was going to be hard to top for me andalthough RABBIT HOLE doesn't, it sure comes close. RH is an easy movieto dislike. It's mostly a self-absorbed character study and like moststage dramas adapted to film, the story doesn't veer very far from itscore. Many people are comparing it to other "loss" films, and RH standsamong the finest.Probably the best thing about the film is Nicole Kidman. I know greatactors can really impress you with their skills at inhabiting acharacter. But with Kidman's performance, I thoroughly felt what shewas feeling. Pick out a scene with few or no words, and and I'll eat myshorts if you can't tell what's going through her head. (At first Ithought she was so good at this because she had lived in the role onBroadway, then found out Cynthia Nixon played that part!) The story -or lack of one really - takes a back seat to the development of all thecharacters. Some lines in the film are just so good they are stillrunning through my head a week later. Highly recommended. Grade: A

gradyharp

14 May 2012

Yes, I think Id like that Living in a Parallel Universe

RABBIT HOLE is a brilliant Pulitzer Prize wining play that has beentransformed for the screen by the playwright David Lindsay-Abaire: thepower of the story remains wholly intact. John Cameron Mitchell directsa cast that could not be better. This is a stunning, quiet elegy aboutgrief and its effects on those left behind. Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) are attempting to pastetogether their lives since the loss 8 months ago of their only childDanny in a freak automobile accident: Danny was chasing his dog intothe street and was hit and killed by teenage driver Jason (MilesTeller). Becca and Howie have become recluses, unable to rise out oftheir grief. Becca's mother Nat (Dianne Wiest) attempts to comfortBecca: Nat lost her son (Becca's brother) at age 30 to a heroinoverdose and Nat's attempts to compare the two losses irritates Becca.Becca's young flighty sister Izzy (Tammy Blanchard) becomes pregnant byher best friend's husband Auggie (Giancarlo Esposito) and the newlypregnant couple moves in with Nat. Izzy's pregnancy is difficult forBeeca to watch for all the memories it raises. Becca and Howie join agroup therapy for couples who have lost children and there they meetGaby (Sandra Oh) and her husband; their marriage is falling apart evenafter 8 years following the loss of their child. Becca cannot toleratethe religious aspects of the group and leaves the group (Howie stays),but she is driven to speak Jason, the high school senior whoaccidentally hit Danny causing his death. Howie continues in grouptherapy, bonding with Gaby while Becca bonds with Jason, a brightsensitive lad who is desperately sorry about the accident and shareshis graphic novel concerning Parallel Universes with Becca. The storyends leaving the audience to figure out just how things will resolve. There is some very beautiful writing in this film. A conversationbetween Becca and her mother about living with grief is a passage thatshould be available to anyone who has stumbled across loss of a lovedone. The conversations between Becca and Jason are luminous in theirprofound simplicity. Each of the actors in the film give bravuraperformances - Kidman and Eckhart and Weist are particularly memorableThis is a fine film that has the courage to delve into a subject thatis universal yet too infrequently discussed. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp

napierslogs

13 May 2012

Intelligent subtexts in Rabbit Hole

"Rabbit Hole" stars Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as a marriedsuburban couple. As with all married suburban couples, there is moregoing on beneath the surface. Here, though, what's beneath the surfaceare insightful concepts, instead of additional plot lines. Becca andHowie are trying to find solace after their young son dies.This is an extremely well written film with smart, quick and funnydialogue, and intelligent subtexts to how and where to find solace. Thebrilliance of the writing allows these profundities to become the mainreflection, rather than just their relationship. It's also aspectacularly acted and beautifully shot film; put together in a waythat it wasn't obvious that it was based on a play.Similar to "Revolutionary Road"(2008) but set in modern times. Not verysimilar to John Cameron Mitchell's previous films ("Shortbus"(2006) and"Hedwig and the Angry Inch"(2001)), but shares the same intelligencejust finally more accessible. David Lindsay-Abaire's screenplay rivals Aaron Sorkin's "The SocialNetwork" for Best Adapted Screenplay of the year. Unfortunately, like"Doubt"(2008), which is also based on a play with a multi-layeredstory, lost to "Slumdog Millionaire"—the more popular film of its year,so will "Rabbit Hole".

13 May 2012

Why wasnt Rabbit Hole nominated for an Academy Award?

This review is from: Rabbit Hole (DVD) I don't understand why the Academy passed by this movie. It is extremely well-acted, directed, and tells a story that needs to be told. I was expecting an all-out tearjerker, but what I found was a well-rounded, necessary story that just takes you to the edge of despair without sending you over. The plot, of course, concerns a couple, Becca and Howie, dealing with the loss of their perfect, innocent four-year-old son. It explores the anguish, grief, and blame that the main characters and several peripheral characters deal with when confronted with the loss of a child. The most interesting point of view, in my opinion, is that of the teenager who accidentally killed the boy. His interaction with Becca is deeply affecting. He is of course dealing with his own feelings of self-blame, but at the same time, in some way offers Becca consolation. He is both the cause of her current torturous state, but, ironically, also the source of her inner comfort.Other interesting parallels are drawn between Becca and her own mother, who lost an adult child years past but in a less innocent way, and the parallel between Becca and her sister, Izzy, who lives what may be deemed an iresponsible lifestyle and who ironically becomes pregnant. Izzy's pregnancy and impending parenthood cause an eruption of feelings in Becca.This is an excellent, extremely worthy film to watch and own.

MLDinTN

12 May 2012

just because its sad,,,

doesn't make it a good movie. I thought this movie was fair. Not muchreally happens and it tries to make you cry in hopes that you willthink it is good. It's about a couple and their life 8 months aftertheir 4 year old son was killed in a car accident. Kidman, plays Becca,the mom whom tries to pretend she isn't as heart broken. She forms abond with the teenager that accidentally hit her son and killed him.That is just weird. I don't think anyone would really do that. Then herhusband, Howie, forms a bond with a woman from group, whose husband hasjust left her.It's all just sad, but tugging on your tear ducts doesn't automaticallymake it great. For me, not enough drama happens. The other drama dealswith Becca's sister whom finds herself pregnant after stealing herfriend's man. Part of Becca probably doesn't think her sister deservesthe child.FINAL VERDICT: It was fair but I prefer more excitement.

david_inuk

11 May 2012

Amazing acting, but missing a beginning, middle and end!

My title kinda sums it up.The acting feels very real, and it is an excellent portrayal of theopposing ends of the struggle to deal with bereavement.The actual event which put these parents in this situation wasexplained in a very clever manner, in drips and drabs over the firstpart of the film. However, whilst I was glued to the screen, captivatedby their brilliant acting, I kept on waiting for something to happen.But, despite my high expectations, nothing did.Actually there is an end, but compared to the slow pace of the film itfeels like an afterthought instead of part of the story.

Marty Young

07 May 2012

Made my friends cry.

With such an impressive cast, I was very curious to see what JohnCameron Mitchell was up to with "Rabbit Hole". His older film, "ShortBus" was so explicit, I was wondering how he got such high caliperactors on board. This film is nothing like "Short Bus". No shockfactors, no pushing the envelope. Just a wonderful small film. I mustsay he did a great job, and so did the cast. It does drag a bit inplaces, but all the actors bring a lovely depth to their roles, myfriends and I all got caught up their lives, and related to theheartbreaking ghosts they were dealing with. If you have children, orhave ever lost someone, this film may keep you company.

NateAshton

06 May 2012

Can we truly ever live with the pain of losing some one we love

Rabbit Hole is a story about love & irreplaceable loss, and how we eachfind our own private way of trying to sedate the ache & pain of losingsomeone we love. The story centers around Becca (Nicole Kidman in aOscar-Nominated Role) a woman who tries to reconstruct her life afterlosing her young son Danny in an accident.She tries to cope with her grief by gardening, cooking, spending timewith her sister Izzy {Tammy Blanchard), and their mother {Dianne Wiest,Brilliant!}, and going to a support group, but nothing can ease thepain she dutifully tries to hide. "He's everywhere," she tells herhusband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) " I can see his fingerprints on thedoorknobs".Howie does his best to comfort Becca, but the two eventually began todrift apart as they find their own private way of coping with theirgrief.Now, in the hands of anyone beside John Cameron Mitchell, this filmcould have ended up as a cheap drama/love story. Mitchell delves intothe very essence of how we as humans differ in the way we deal with ourgrief, and that we forget our sorrows, but that at some point in timethey become bearable.

RealtorMatthew

05 May 2012

Rabbit Hole - what a masterpiece

Rabbit Hole: a fitting title for a movie that sucks you in from thevery beginning. With a strong cast, a plot that leaves no stoneunturned, and incredible directing that was no overwrought, this movieis one of the most underrated in 2010. The movie fascinates watcherswith its warmth, reflection, and a real-life perspective of someone whohas lost a child. No problems are solved completely, but meaningfulconversations are exchanged and the burden becomes slightly easier tobear. I couldn't get enough of the dialogue. Quite simply, it was justbeautifully made.I think it was a smart choice to start the movie after the deathoccurs. We don't need to see what happened so much as how thecharacters deal with it.Although in the beginning Nicole Kidman reveals a little bit of herAustralian dialect, the rest of the movie she is believable as anAmerican mother who has lost her son. Becca (Nicole Kidman) plays themother who's 4-year old son car killed in a car accident. Her characteris bitter, cynical, mad, and not receptive to traditional channels ofhelp, i.e. group therapy. The essence of her character lies in theresponse to other of the other group members, "Why didn't God just makeanother angel?" One of the most touching scenes is when she isexamining her son's painting on the refrigerator all alone with herthoughts. You can just feel the sadness and despair. As she attempts toget a job with her former employer we find out all of her formercolleagues are gone, showing us that life went on without her.When not at home, most of her time is spent stalking the boy who killedher son, Jason (played by Miles Teller). Over time she develops arelationship with him, one in which they both can almost lean on eachother, in an effort to be comforted. Becca needs this as her and herhusband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) are continually fighting over keepingmemories of their son or getting a fresh start by not clinging to whathas gone.The relationship between Becca and her mom Nat (Dianne Wiest) waswell-done, as we find out that Nat also lost a child at 30 years ofage. The mother-daughter dynamic is shown it its full glory, andbecause of what happened to both of them the relationship was strong,but also, strained, as Nat attempted to compare the deaths side byside, which infuriates Becca. The words offered by Nat in the laundryroom scene were certainly impactful and calming As the story progressesJason & Becca become close, and we come to learn more about the movie'stitle. We see both of them vulnerable with their guards down, justtrying to understand and come to grips with what has happened. Beccalearns to car about Jason, which is the opposite of how Howie feelsabout him.The relationship with Becca and Jason is very special, as deeperconcepts involving parallel universes are discussed, leaving us withthe possibility that they exist in other universe being happy."Somewhere out there I'm having a good time". Wonderful.Tender subjects are explored superbly, with a no-holds barred approach.Topics such as sex after a child's death, possible infidelity issues,and deleting a treasured video by mistake.The ending is beautiful and well-orchestrated. I have nothing negativeto say about this movie. It's utterly a treasure 10/10 stars

Rabbit-Reviews

05 May 2012

Journey down the different kind of a Rabbit Hole...

Dealing with a loss of a loved ones is a very difficult thing and oneof the worst events that person can experience is a loss of child.Rabbit Hole is a movie based on a play by David Lindsay-Abaire,starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart it deals with the aftermath ofthis terrible tragedy. It simply amazing how the director managed tocapture that heavy and intense atmosphere that enshrouds the familyafter such an event, and yet give it somewhat hopeful note. He takes uson a journey, down the rabbit hole where things are not so nice andpretty but realistic and difficult. Every person has their own idea ofhow to overcome the sorrow and pain, and here we witness the clash oftwo different personalities, and although it might not be pretty itcertainly worth watching. This is ultimately what the movies are about,showing us what happens when something happens without theinconvenience of us as protagonist. Perhaps best roles of two mainactors also added more intensity to this film. And one more thing, thisis not one of those movies that makes you feel like crap afterward, buta movie that enriches you… Becca and Howie are dealing with the loss of their child, each in theirown way. It has been eight months now, and the memory of that event isstill very vivid in their minds, although they try to go on with theirnormal, everyday activities, there is always something in the air.Something that will be always present, the question is how to look atit… While Howie is seemingly doing better then Becca, his pain is alsopresent, and this combined with her decision to not let go is puttingstrains on their marriage. The rest of the world is the same, peoplehaving fun, having menial problems, but two of them seem to be trappedin a rabbit hole and can't (or won't) get out. Is there a right way todeal with this situation, can someone be ever happy after somethinglike this is up to you to find out.Check out my review site Rabbit-Reviews for movies that are worthwatching, Rabbit out...

brocksilvey

04 May 2012

The Trip Down This Particular Rabbit Hole Might Leave You Wanting More

What should have been a devastating portrait of one affluent couple'sgrief in the wake of the death of their four-year-old son insteadregisters as a well-intentioned but bloodless exercise.Maybe it's a case of something getting lost in translation, but itsurprises me that the play on which John Cameron Mitchell's ("Hedwigand the Angry Inch," "Shortbus") film is based won playwright DavidLindsay-Abaire the Pulitzer Prize. Because if anything about the moviestruck me as especially lacking, it was the material. The performancesare uniformly fine, but I was never able to shake the impression thatthey could have been so much better if the actors had been givensomething better to do. The movie offers an outline version of amarried couple coping with tragedy; scene follows scene in quick,check-mark fashion, hitting all of the obligatory highlights withoutfilling in the subtle shadings that made a film this one can't help butbring to mind -- Robert Redford's "Ordinary People" -- so much better.As a result, scenes that should hit like a gut punch, like one in whichNicole Kidman's brittle, suffocated mother assaults another mom in agrocery store, flit by so quickly and so independently of anything oneither side of it, that it carries almost no emotional weight.Despite this, there are scenes that hit home, like a lovely soliloquyin which Dianne Wiest, as Kidman's mom, tells her how the grief over adead child evolves over time, or the ending, in which Kidman and AaronEckhart, as her husband, decide to stop fighting each other andtentatively face a future with a black hole at its center.Mitchell, whose "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" I loved and whose"Shortbus" I very much admired, feels oddly out of touch with thematerial, as if someone who doesn't at all understand what it would belike to lose a child decided to make a movie about that very thing andcould only guess at the emotions involved.I wanted to like "Rabbit Hole" much more than I did.Grade: B

Gordon-11

03 May 2012

An engrossing drama

This film is about a couple who lost their four-year-old son in anaccident. They grief in different ways, each hoping to find eventualsolace in their hearts."Rabbit Hole" is a captivating drama that details how a couple griefthe loss of their young son. There has been much talk about how goodNicole Kidman is in the film, and I agree with them. I would also pointout that performances by Aaron Eckhardt is also very good, and he seemsto have been ignored in the plethora of praises. Another striking thingis how good the lighting is, the good use of focused lighting createsatmospheric scenes with shadows in the right places. I find "RabbitHole" captivating and engrossing.

28 April 2012

A Little-Seen Gem from 2010

John Cameron Mitchell makes a radical departure from his two previous films with the drama Rabbit Hole, based on the off-Broadway play by David Lindsay-Abaire who also wrote the screen adaptation. Nicole Kidman (also a co-producer) and Aaron Eckhart star as Becca and Howie, a married couple still coping with the death of their young son nearly a year earlier. This story is not new, but the way the material is handled makes it stand out.The death of their four-year-old son Danny has put a strain on Becca and Howie's marriage, with both their sex life and social life suffering as a result. While Howie continues working, Becca stays at home surrounded by reminders of her son. After trying to cope with his death together by attending a support group, the two look for ways to come to grips with their situation separately. While Howie befriends a pot-smoking member of the support group named Gaby (Sandra Oh), Becca initiates contact with Jason (Miles Teller), the teenager who accidentally ran over her son. Dianne Wiest co-stars as Nat, Becca's mother alongside Tammy Blanchard as Izzy, Becca's newly pregnant sister. The supporting cast adds a lot of depth to the film that has gone widely unmentioned. Sandra Oh brings humor, as well as dramatic poignancy to the film while Teller perfectly captures the sadness of his young, guilt-ridden character. The real stand-out among the supporting cast is Wiest, a two-time Oscar winning actress whom I haven't seen too often lately. Why isn't she in higher demand? She proved decades ago that she's a terrific actress and shows here that she hasn't lost any of her ability. While the rest of the cast (particularly the leads) crank up the emotional level to 11, Wiest opts for a much quieter, but no less moving performance. Kidman and Eckhart deliver career-best performances and make this film the powerful drama that it is. Kidman (in an Oscar-nominated role) plays the contemptuously bitter Becca with great warmth and humor. She's a marvelous, underappreciated actress who taps into some dark corners of the heart here making her a very deserving recipient of her Oscar nod. While much praise has been given to Kidman, it is Eckhart who gives the most emotional, Oscar-worthy performance despite being overlooked by both critics and audiences. There's a lot of raw power in both performances and I cite two scenes to emphasize this; (1) when Becca slaps a woman in the supermarket and (2) a scene mid-way through the film where Becca and Howie get into an explosive argument. The emotion and sincerity that Eckhart projects in the latter scene is heartbreaking. Considering this scene and another in which Howie unexpectedly confronts with Jason, it is unfathomable how Eckhart didn't get nominated for his performance. It's a tragedy he hasn't at least gotten more recognition for his stunning work.Writer Lindsay-Abaire handles this subject matter with great sensitivity while wisely avoiding sentimentality. The film's frank, direct dialogue and complicated emotional structure make Rabbit Hole a much more poignant, gripping film than the usual melodramatic fare that spawns from this type of story. Linday-Abaire doesn't avoid opportunities for humor while telling this story and it's used to great effect. The scene where Eckhart and Oh attend group stoned is hilarious within the context of the film. Meanwhile, Mitchell demonstrates substantial range as a director. While his previous two films were preoccupied with the sexual element of relationships, here he displays a perceptive talent for capturing the emotional element as well. He does great justice to this material in the way he handles it too. An example of what I mean is that we never see or hear the son's death, only the expressions on the faces of Becca and Jason. It's a powerful scene that uses only the body language of the actors and the graceful cinematography to illustrate this pivotal event. By shooting the scene in this manner, rather than showing the boy's death, it is much more affective. The film concludes nicely, neither ending with sappy optimism or bleak misery. It wraps up on a poignant, hopeful note but not a predictable one. I have seen this film twice and I believe it's one of the best films of 2010. It's an acting piece that gives under-appreciated actors to really showcase their talent, but it's backed by a deeply felt script and sensitive direction. While it lacks the gritty, emotional realism of a film like Blue Valentine it loses none of its original impact on a second viewing. With that said, despite a glimmer of hope for the characters, the film is a bit of a downer and I can't imagine watching it again. Don't let that dissuade you from seeing it though, as it's one of the most powerful and emotionally effective dramas I've seen recently.GRADE: A-

randompretender

28 April 2012

The inconvenience of tragedy

I'm not sure I can craft all of my negative thoughts for this movieinto useful statements for this review, but the least I can say is thatRabbit Hole fails to reflect grief in any believable way. I mean, thepros for the movie are the actors and the appropriate and interestingcomic drawn by the boy about parallel universes, but that's it for me.It's not that I don't want people to be able to get over the death of achild, but the way it was done in this film just seems wrong. From thevery beginning, The parents are living their comfortable lives, totallylacking depression or grief, and the fact that their son died recentlyis merely a distraction rather than the focus. There is no disorder orchaos to say that something terrible had happened. I am biased to adegree admittedly, in that the death of a child "should" be life-ruining, or at the very least, life-altering, so this movie willprobably make sense to some out there. I just don't relate to theprotagonists and I felt so strongly about it I made an account to makethis my first review on IMDb. I guess it's true what that say aboutnegative feedback spreading more than positive, but what can I say