Saturday, January 8, 2011

Movie review : Rabbit hole

Often at times, the films are very grief-stricken and emotional ranged and Rabbit Hole is no exception. The 91 minute feature follows a married couple who is struggling to cope with tragedy. 
Becca (Nicole Kidman) and her husband Howie (Aaron Eckhart) seemingly had the perfect life. Promising careers, a gorgeous house in a wealthy suburban neighborhood, great family and friends surrounding them; All in all, what more could they ask for these days. They even had a four-year-old son. Had, being the keyword. The above mentioned tragedy stems from the loss of their son. A random event prematurely ends the young boy’s life. Nearly a year has passed and despite all the group therapy, Becca and Howie are still very much lost on how to move forward as a couple and individually.
Howie forms a bond with fellow group member Gaby (Sandra Oh). Meanwhile, Becca can’t stand being at group anymore and takes a random interest in high school senior Jason (Miles Teller). Becca also keeps a running dialogue with her mother (Dianne West) and her newly pregnant sister Izzy (Tammy Blanchard). Both Howie and Becca realize that getting back to the norm is just not happening. They constantly disagree on what direction to take in coping with the memory of their lost child.
To avoid spoilers, that is all the plot points that can be revealed. A few subtle surprises will hit the audience as the Becca and Howie characters open up to others. Stated above, was the relation between having a solid cast in a formulaic story. One of the storylines will keep the viewer guessing while the other is fairly predictable. That said, the bold performances of Kidman and Eckhart casually bring in enough power to keep one engrossed for a good portion of this flick.

Some may point out that Kidman and Eckhart lack the chemistry in many of their scenes.  They’re supposed to be jaded and awkward. Placing yourself in the characters position is one of two main reasons this should be sought out. Chances are you will not want their conversations to ever stop. The supporting players try to provide another layer and an alternate view of the story. In the end though, they’re placement in the story just doesn’t add much at all.
Overall, Rabbit Hole is brought to life by the performers. An introduction to a few subplots keeps the viewer involved. It is what it is.

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