No one does bad parent movies better than
Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale) and he's back with another foray into the land of people who should be smart enough not to totally emotionally eviscerate their kids, but aren't. In
Margot at the Wedding,
Nicole Kidman stars as self-involved, self-important titular Manhattan writer who returns with her son to the family house on Long Island for her estranged sister, Pauline's, nuptials. Baumbach is an absolute master of the indie genre, successfully managing to weave in atmospheric moments that would seem pointless and frustrating in someone else's hands to effectively create, as he says, 'the drip drip of life.' We all know Kidman is a capable actress, and she does a good job inhabiting the excruiating character of Margot, but unlike everyone else in the movie, she is cast against type so she stands out a little against actors
Jennifer Jason Leigh,
Zane Pais,
Flora Cross and
Ciaran Hinds who fit perfectly in the subtle, realistic Baumbachian world. On the other hand,
Jack Black fits in seamlessly as Pauline's hapless fiance, Malcolm. Unlike many of Black's recent efforts, it is perfect use of his comedic talents and he provides much needed humor to an otherwise heavy world. The characters are pretty unlikeable, though, so the movie can leave you feeling a little emotionally vacant at the end. Then again, if you were looking for a feel-good movie, what were you doing seeing a Baumbach flick, anyway?
ReelzChannel Rating: 