Review of In the Land of Women (2007) by Craig C — 14 Jul 2008

Hm... What to say about this movie? I don't really know. I must say, I went in just thinking I would love it -- I really wanted to love it... I mean, Olympia Dukakis, Meg Ryan, Adam Brody... But? Well... I just didn't. This movie is simply not the "lovable" type. Likable? Yes. Appreciable? Definitely? But, lovable? No... Sorry.

Awkward and weird, but not always in a good or interesting way -- in fact, most often in a sort of odd, unsettling, disjointed sense. Just strange and somewhat uncomfortable, the film and its characters never quite "settle in" -- this script just doesn't allow for that.

The chemistry between Ryan and Brody was nice... very subtle, perhaps a bit understated, but really nice, palatable, and believable. There was certainly a lot of emotion tied up in there, and it came through in a poignantly real, refreshing, fashion. Dukakis was funny and shined when she was on screen, but that aspect of the story just never really developed... it just sort of lurked in the background. Stewart was really great in her role, and I liked the interplay between her and Brody -- in fact, it contrasted quite nicely with that between Brody and Ryan -- but the weakness of the script really didn't let this come through as naturally as it could have.

The talent here was excellent, and the overall plot concept was good, but it just wasn't well executed. It sort of meanders and just abruptly arrives at the enjoyable parts. There's just no real cohesiveness, which leads one feeling... unconvinced, underwhelmed, and a bit unsatisfied. Kudos to the cast for doing a commendable job with what they had... But, unfortunately, for me, this just wasn't enough. Quite enjoyable in parts, but overall, fairly mediocre.