2114
(0 votes, average 0 out of 5)
Written by Gregg Shapiro
Dec 30, 2010
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole.” – Photo: Courtesy
‘Rabbit Hole’
Eight months since the death of their 4-year-old son Danny, who was hit by a car while chasing the family dog Taz, Becca (Nicole Kidman) and Howie (Aaron Eckhart) are still trying to find a way to deal with their loss. Becca gardens and declines party invitations from neighbors, including Peg (Patricia Kalember). Her mourning is disrupted by the bad behavior of troubled kid sister Izzy (Tammy Blanchard), an unemployed Applebee’s waitress who gets into bar fights and needs to be bailed out of jail. Izzy, who also happens to be pregnant by musician Augie (Giancarlo Esposito), has taken up residence at the home of their mother Nat (Dianne Wiest).
Howie is making a more concerted effort to come to terms with his grief. In spite of late-night viewings of a video of Danny on his iPhone, he plays racquetball with Rick (Jon Tenney) and attends a support group for grieving parents. Becca, too blunt and impatient with the more religious grief-stricken parents, opts not to attend. It’s at the group meetings that Howie meets Gaby (Sandra Oh), a “professional wallower.”
On the surface, Howie appears to be handling the situation better. But when Becca, who regularly rebuffs Howie’s romantic advances, takes down Danny’s refrigerator art, empties Danny’s closet and offers the clothes to expectant Izzy and suggests selling the house, Howie begins to lose it. And when Becca accidentally erases the Danny video from his iPhone, Howie has an emotional meltdown.
Both Becca and Howie are keeping secrets from each other. Their secrets are the only things that provide them with solace. Howie and Gaby grow closer, smoking pot in her car before the support group meetings and then skipping them altogether. Meanwhile, Becca inadvertently locates Jason (Miles Teller), the scarred high school student who was driving the car that hit Danny. They begin to meet in a park and get to know each other. Jason, who is illustrating a comic book of his own creation, “Rabbit Hole,” even shares his work with Becca. But, of course, the secrets come to the surface in corrosive ways, threatening the already frayed fabric of Becca and Howie’s marriage.
Out director John Cameron Mitchell, who already proved his mettle with his first two brilliant films, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” (in which he also starred) and “Shortbus,” has moved in a new and utterly compelling direction here. He gets breathtaking performances from his cast, especially Eckhart, Kidman, Teller and Wiest.
Oh, and in spite of David Lindsay-Abaire’s screenplay (based on his play) occasionally feeling stagey, Mitchell opens up the film in a way that one would open a window in a stuffy room. His work is subtle, yet generous and guided, making the journey down the rabbit hole less distressing than it might have been.
‘The King’s Speech’
Deprived of a well-deserved Oscar for his performance in the gay-themed “A Single Man,” Colin Firth will probably be rewarded for his portrayal of stammering King George VI (AKA Albert, Duke of York, or Bertie). Husband to the future “Queen Mum,” played with grace and humor by Helena Bonham Carter, and father to future queen Elizabeth, the high-strung but affectionate Albert was perfectly happy to remain in the background. But following the death of his father George V (Michael Gambon) and the abdication of brother King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), Albert, ill-prepared for public speaking, ascends to the throne as King George VI and must find a way to overcome his disability.
Elizabeth enlists Australian actor and speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush in a role he was born to play) and the transformation begins. With the threat of war with Germany increasingly becoming a reality, George must prove himself to be an inspirational leader to his people. One of the best films of 2010, “The King’s Speech” hits the right emotional notes and merits the accolades received.
