Actors: Juliette Lewis, Jonny Weston
Director: Jen McGowan
Format: Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: Unrated
Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
DVD Release Date: December 30, 2014
Run Time: 110 minutes
There is a
sincere honesty in both the writing and the portrayal of Kelly (Juliette Lewis)
in Kelly & Cal, however derivative, predictable and unpleasant as the film
itself may be. The real honesty is that there are some narratives that I would
simply prefer not to see, both for lack of enjoyment and originality,
regardless of how well they are executed. Juliette Lewis gives a wholly
convincing performance as punk rocker-turned suburban mom, but the screenplay
by Amy Lowe Starbin left a bad taste in my mouth.
Do we really need another film about
an adult lusting after a teenager in an attempt to escape growing up and
growing old? Kelly is a new mother who moved to the suburbs to please her
husband and his family, who often stop by for judgmental comments about her
parenting skills. It is no surprise that Kelly is unhappy, but the film loses
all ability to sympathize with her when she begins an uncomfortable
relationship with her seventeen-year-old neighbor. Cal is newly handicapped and frustrated with
his life, but lusting after Kelly while she fools herself into believing that
they are just friends gives him a distraction.
There are a lot of conversations
about dreams, art and music, but it is clear that all of Cal ’s actions are high school courting
rituals. Kelly is the unsympathetic one, because she abuses this attention to
feel attractive again in replacement of her husband’s missing attention since
the pregnancy. The fact that the filmmakers work very hard to make Kelly sympathetic
is more frustrating that effective, and it leaves the film little chance for
adequate resolution.
The DVD special features include a
featurette and a trailer.
Entertainment Value:
6/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 5/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 4/10
No comments:
Post a Comment