Review of Flannel Pajamas (2006) by Habib I — 14 Jan 2008

Flannel Pajamas is a perceptive exploration of a couple's relationship from the heady, lust-driven days of courtship to moving in and marriage. It deals with a couple, Stuart [Justin Kirk] and Nicole [Julianne Nicholson] who seem to be opposites yet are drawn to each other whilst on a blind date, and their feelings for each other grows from passion to love, resulting in marriage. The path of love doesn't run smooth though, for these two individuals have a lot going against them - they are opposites in character and interests, he is Jewish & she is Catholic, and their respective families put added strain on an already fragile relationship.

The story of Stuart and Nicole's navigation through each other's 'baggage' is told with a certain poignancy, and is credibly done, esp with the amazing performance by Julianne Nicholson as the emotionally dependent Nicole. The let down was the wooden, whiny, unconvincing performance by Justin Kirk as the emotionally vacant & self-absorbed Stuart. He seems incapable of expressing his emotions credibly and comes off as very artificial in his acting. Perhaps the role was just too demanding for him.

There is a lot of nudity in this movie, and a couple of full-frontal nude scenes, which I thought was tastefully done, and in fact did not detract from the storytelling. Was it necessary? Perhaps, esp in one scene where Stuart asks Nicole to fully strip for him, and Nicole's reluctance to do so [indicating her own inhibitions & reservations] before feeling forced to comply.

All in all, this is a worthwhile emotional drama that though devoid of humor, paints a compelling portrait of two people who love each other, but find themselves moving in opposite directions, a situation not uncommon in many contemporary relationships. If you're expecting a humorous, upbeat look at love then this is not your cup of tea, but those looking for a more serious take on what makes relationships work or fail, may appreciate Flannel Pajamas.