Rabbit Hole
Death Race 28, Sarah 28 (woo!); 13 of 24 categories completed (Woo II: Bride of Woo!)
…I didn’t hate it, but it isn’t very good. It’s competent, but the script makes maybe one fresh choice, and Dianne Wiest’s Nat is the most interesting character of the lot, but she’s written inconsistently.
Nicole Kidman is coasting; it’s not an exciting performance, and she often chooses to play “troubled and emotionally paralyzed” as “cold bitch” — which is valid, but doesn’t seem like what’s called for here. I didn’t know until reading Edward Copeland’s review (consider bookmarking him; he’s a great read) that Cynthia Nixon had won a Tony in the same part, and now I really wish I’d seen that instead. This is a by-numbers story with dated costuming, set in a Restoration Hardware catalog, that has great potential but realizes very little of it. Missable.
Tags: Cynthia Nixon dial-a-cliche Dianne Wiest Edward Copeland movies Nicole Kidman Oscars 2011 Death Race Rabbit Hole
Well, at least it was an excuse to post Aaron’s georgous mug. Son of the Bride of Woo!
But other then that…yeah.
I really liked it. I thought Kidman’s restrained acting was appropriate for the party and I did think it was fresh to see a marriage where the woman reacts to death rationally and coolly while the husband goes off the rails emotionally. Additionally I thought the relationship between Kidman’s character and the kid who hit their son was interesting and unexpected.
The only part I didn’t like was the fight over the erased video. Holy scenery chewing overacting from Aaron Eckhart.
Cynthia Nixon was incredible. She gave a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking performance that must have left her so emotionally drained I honestly can’t imagine how she did it every night through the run. I was wondering how the movie version compared and now I think I’ll skip it.