The Details

First Hit:  An odd sort of film about how easy it is to slide down a slippery slope. The film’s opening moments, with a voice over by Jeff Lang (played by Tobey Maguire), states the dilemma Jeff is going to go through for the next 91 minutes. He begins a string of decisions, which include installing sod, bypassing city ordinances, and lying to his wife resulting in his going down a slippery slope that includes a murder. Jeff is married to Nealy (played by Elizabeth Banks) and they have one young child. When Jeff decides, against Nealy’s wishes to install sod in their backyard the raccoons begin to dig it up. Although he’s successful pediatrician this new battle between him and the raccoons becomes obsessive. His odd neighbor Lila (played by Laura Linney) gets wind of his battles and becomes an unwilling and spiteful participant in this war in different ways. Jeff and Nealy and friends with Rebecca and Peter Mazzoni (played by Kerry Washington and Ray Liotta respectively) and Jeff’s indiscretion with Rebecca digs him farther into the hole he’s creating for himself. Lincoln (played by Dennis Haysbert) plays on a pick-up basketball team with Jeff and becomes, yet another unwilling/willing participant in Jeff’s demise. The story is in the details (hence the title).

Maguire is an interesting choice for this role and actually carries it off quite well. There is an air of intelligence and stupidity in this role that he transmits strongly. I ended up both rooting for and against him in different scenes. Banks is good as the wife who is in her own space, not very engaged with Jeff, but decides to support her husband as the truth begins to unfold. Linney is fabulous in this very quirky role as the neighbor. Washington is OK as Jeff’s friend and colleague. Liotta is very good at bringing danger and learned redemption to his character. Haysbert is a standout in his role as gracious and grateful friend of Jeff’s. Jacob Aaron Estes wrote and directed this quite, quirky and at times interesting film.

Overall: It doesn’t quite grab the audience totally although some of the performances are very good.

The Savages

First Hit: Very strong performances especially by Philip Seymour Hoffman in a film about a difficult subject.

This film provides some insight towards family and sibling dynamics when an aging parent needs day-to-say assistance.

Laura Linney plays Wendy Savage the younger sister of Jon Savage play by Hoffman and although it is apparent they have spoken to each other over the years, they are not close nor have they resolved and moved on from old childhood patterns. 

The film begins when their father, Lenny Savage (played by Philip Bosco) is ousted from Sun City because his common law wife dies. Jon and Wendy trek out to Arizona to figure out what to do with their father. Jon finds a assisted living place which has an open bed for his father and is near the college where he is a professor.

Wendy dislikes the place because it seems so institutional and tries to find a more warm and loving place. However, they fail to obtain a bed in this other facility and, over time, Wendy sees that it is more about what she and Jon put into their efforts towards their father and themselves as brother and sister.

The dynamics between Jon and Wendy reflect how siblings grow apart holding on to old patterns and behaviors and that is is possible to overcome these issues to learn, see and accept each other.

What is takes is an openness and a willingness to share their truths.

Overall: Strong film with strong performances, yet Laura Linney’s characterization seemed incongruent at times.

Nanny Diaries

First Hit: What a waste of celluloid. This is barely a video for rent movie.

What were these highly skilled actors doing in a film like this?

Look at Laura Linney’s, Paul Giamatti’s, or Scarlett Johansson's previous work and then watch this film. It isn’t that their acting was that bad, in fact Paul was good as a non-caring corporate hustler. It was their choice to do this film that I cannot understand.

The premise was poor, not enough of a setup to believe the initial choice to take a nanny position was credible. The umbrella scenes were hokey. The moments where Laura was suppose to not see and believe her husband’s indiscretions weren’t believable. The whole thing wasn’t worth any price to see it in a theater.

Overall: Don’t waste your money. If you must see it wait for the video release, it won’t be a long wait.