'This Is Where I Leave You': AWKWARD, EXPLICIT FAMILY STORY
The biggest problem with This Is Where I Leave You is that there is no convenient box to place this type of movie in. It is not a family film though it is about family. It is not a comedy though there are funny parts to it. It is not a drama even if it comes off as such in some places. Instead, this film sports elements of all three and becomes a film of bad things that happen to the Altman family.
However, the bad things don’t just happen to the family, they are predicated by poor choices and the reality of life – a reality that most people want to go to the cinema to escape. Yes, we get it. Life sucks. While this might be the only lesson in the film, it is the most prevalent, and the movie tries to temper it with “but at least you have family.” The other lesson is that of you can find love, hold onto it because it can be taken away, given away, destroyed or trampled on at any time by friends, circumstances or disease, and not everyone is fortunate to be able to find someone to love. The film is filled with awkward sexual situations and infidelity, and only seems to think that life is worthwhile with chemicals to help forget about family friction and the poor hand that life has dealt everyone. The cast is solid. The script is strong, but in the end, this film delivers nothing but heartache. If you like that sort of thing, you might be pleasantly surprised. Just don’t think that Tina Fey and Jason Bateman are going to deliver a comedy. |
Read Romney's Review of This Is Where I Leave You on MoviePilot
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