|
LOVELY AND AMAZING Send This Review to a Friend
The amazing thing about "Lovely and Amazing" is the lovely way in which this extremely observant and often funny story is told. Writer-director Nicole Holofcener echews temptation to shoot for high drama in favor of concentrating on characters and their hang-ups and placing them in relationship to each other. Apart from a bit of melodrama, Holofcener keeps the film on an easygoing path and relies on our intelligence to connect the dots.
Brenda Blethyn ("Secrets and Lies") as Jane Marks is a mother who is concerned about aging and weight and thinks that cosmetic fat-removal surgery may be the key to greater peace of mind and happiness. She worries more about her appearance than the risks. Her three daughters, one a recently adopted eight-year-old black girl, could scarcely be more different from one another, although they do each have anxieties.
Given the talent of Catherine Keener ("Being John Malkovich"), her portrayal of the oldest sister, Michelle, is especially acute. Michelle thrives on independence, yet is in a troubled marriage. She is looked down upon by her husband in her attempt to sell her artsy but not commercial handicraft creations. She is both vulnerable and curious when she gets a job in a photo shop run by 17-year-old Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal), to whom she becomes sexually attracted against her better judgment.
Elizabeth (Emily Mortimer) pursues an acting career and has a soft spot in her heart for stray dogs. Emotionally, she is somewhat of a stray herself. She is pitiful in her self-doubts about her looks and there is a sad and upsetting scene in which she asks her boyfriend to evaluate her body.
Both Michelle and Elizabeth are concerned about their adopted sister Annie. Raven Goodwin reaches deep into our hearts with her captivating portrayal of Annie, who seems mature for her age but is often sullen, is overweight and obviously must deal with being a black child in a white family. But in some respects Annie is strong-willed and rebellious. Goodwin's performance is one of the main reasons for being drawn into this film.
"Lovely and Amazing," which basically is about values and self-image, doesn't wrap everything up neatly, but gently creates a reality for its interesting and well played characters, given accuracy through the perceptions of a female filmmaker. A Lions Gate Films release.
|