Scan and Pan
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
In the Land of Women
After screenwriter Carter Webb (Adam Brody) is dumped by his famous actress girlfriend (Elena Anaya), he decides to get away from it all by taking care of his ailing grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) in Michigan. He soon becomes entangled in the lives of his neighbor Sarah (Meg Ryan), who's dealing with breast cancer and an unfaithful husband (Clark Gregg), and her teenaged daughter Lucy (Kristen Stewart).
Writer/director Jon Kasdan's first film shows a lot of potential. Like the best films made by his father Lawrence (The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, Grand Canyon; also the executive producer here), it's a well-crafted film that's strong on characterization while delving into the murky waters of relationships with some perceptive dialogue. Unfortunately, much of its potential goes unrealized because Kasdan's characters inhabit a story whose beats and resolutions are fairly predictable, and it never truly engages your emotions. It's too much a film of the head and not enough of the heart.
The crisp cinematography of Paul Cameron (Deja Vu) and the sets of production designer Sandy Cochrane (A Wrinkle in Time) combine to convincingly create the ambiance of a middle-class Minnesota neighborhood in Vancouver, Canada, while Stephen Trask (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) contributes a score and songs that are ideally suited to the production's tone.
Brody (of television's The O.C.) delivers a believably honest performance as the self-deprecating yet self-possessed Carter, injecting the role with his trademark geeky charm. Ryan's performance is one of her best in a long time as Sarah, who's forced to examine the shortcomings of her life by the realization of her own mortality. Ryan sometimes has a tendency to be too cutesy, but she finds the right balance here and makes her character seem real. Stewart continues to develop into a more than capable young actress, demonstrating good rapport with Brody and Ryan while giving a low-key performance of her own. Dukakis is hilariously deadpan as Carter's demented grandmother. The rest of the cast is solid, with Gregg as Sarah's husband, Anaya as the woman who breaks Carter's heart, Makenzie Vega as Lucy's charming younger sister, Dustin Milligan as the shy geek with a crush on Lucy, and JoBeth Williams as Carter's mother.
Although In the Land of Women lacks the spark that would have made it a really good film, the quality performances and dialogue make it a solid film. The best thing about it being a first film is that Kasdan should only get better, and I can't wait to see if that holds true for his future films. Wait for the video on this one.
[3 out of 5 stars]
This relationship drama with touches of comedy has a lot working in its favor but it doesn't fully live up to its potential.
After screenwriter Carter Webb (Adam Brody) is dumped by his famous actress girlfriend (Elena Anaya), he decides to get away from it all by taking care of his ailing grandmother (Olympia Dukakis) in Michigan. He soon becomes entangled in the lives of his neighbor Sarah (Meg Ryan), who's dealing with breast cancer and an unfaithful husband (Clark Gregg), and her teenaged daughter Lucy (Kristen Stewart).
Writer/director Jon Kasdan's first film shows a lot of potential. Like the best films made by his father Lawrence (The Big Chill, The Accidental Tourist, Grand Canyon; also the executive producer here), it's a well-crafted film that's strong on characterization while delving into the murky waters of relationships with some perceptive dialogue. Unfortunately, much of its potential goes unrealized because Kasdan's characters inhabit a story whose beats and resolutions are fairly predictable, and it never truly engages your emotions. It's too much a film of the head and not enough of the heart.
The crisp cinematography of Paul Cameron (Deja Vu) and the sets of production designer Sandy Cochrane (A Wrinkle in Time) combine to convincingly create the ambiance of a middle-class Minnesota neighborhood in Vancouver, Canada, while Stephen Trask (Hedwig and the Angry Inch) contributes a score and songs that are ideally suited to the production's tone.
Brody (of television's The O.C.) delivers a believably honest performance as the self-deprecating yet self-possessed Carter, injecting the role with his trademark geeky charm. Ryan's performance is one of her best in a long time as Sarah, who's forced to examine the shortcomings of her life by the realization of her own mortality. Ryan sometimes has a tendency to be too cutesy, but she finds the right balance here and makes her character seem real. Stewart continues to develop into a more than capable young actress, demonstrating good rapport with Brody and Ryan while giving a low-key performance of her own. Dukakis is hilariously deadpan as Carter's demented grandmother. The rest of the cast is solid, with Gregg as Sarah's husband, Anaya as the woman who breaks Carter's heart, Makenzie Vega as Lucy's charming younger sister, Dustin Milligan as the shy geek with a crush on Lucy, and JoBeth Williams as Carter's mother.
Although In the Land of Women lacks the spark that would have made it a really good film, the quality performances and dialogue make it a solid film. The best thing about it being a first film is that Kasdan should only get better, and I can't wait to see if that holds true for his future films. Wait for the video on this one.
[3 out of 5 stars]
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