Review of Labor Day (2013) by Glenn G — 11 Dec 2013

What starts out as a potentially scary home invasion thriller swiftly descends into Nicholas Sparks territory in Jason Reitman's mostly terrible new film, LABOR DAY. Set during the finals days of summer vacation in 1987 New England (is there any other location more appropriate for mawkish, sentimental claptrap?), the film stars Kate Winslet as a lonely, nearly catatonic divorcee named Adele, who is either raising or being raised by her young son Henry (Gattlin Griffith - in full dewy-eyed but also nearly silent mode).

One day, on a rare outing to a department store, they're strongly urged by an escaped convicted murderer (Josh Brolin as Frank) to take him home with them so he can hide out. Injured from his jump out of a second story window, Frank bleeds more than he speaks. In fact, hardly anyone speaks in this film, except for the nail-on-the-head voiceover provided by Tobey Maguire of all people as the older Henry. This is strictly "the summer that changed everything for me" narrative in all of its painful, thuddingly obvious glory. It's telling that the supporting characters talk more than our stars, perhaps because Reitman, who adapted the screenplay from Joyce Maynard's well-regarded novel, wants to add some "meaningful" weight to such flimsy material.

The film is beautifully filmed by Reitman's frequent collaborator, cinematographer Eric Steelberg, with some striking compositions, such as the one used in the poster. There's a particularly striking shot of Henry playing a video game and seeing the reflection of his mom and Frank in his screen. Multi-layered, burnished framing isn't everything, and this film goes off the rails shortly after the convict holes up in their home. A very tense situation becomes unbelievable when Frank proves to be a gentle giant who starts cleaning their house, changing tires, and fixing retaining walls. Despite a massive manhunt and neighbors who tend to drop by, he sure doesn't mind tooling around outside.

Things get worse when Frank shows his hostages how to make a peach pie. In one of the most ill-advised sequences I've seen in a film all year, the baking turns into a sensual experience along the lines of the pottery sequence in GHOST. The trio's fingers are all churning the peaches around in a bowl, creating the weirdest Mother/Son/Murderer 3-way intermingling ever! Love between Frank and Adele soon follows, because, the bad boys are always hot, right? Soon, they're executing a rumba in the kitchen, followed by sweet, sweet (but strangely offscreen) lovemaking in the boudoir. I didn't buy the love story for a second. Kate Winslet, who is often a staggering actor, is starting to bore me by taking these frumpy housewife roles over and over again (REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, MILDRED PEARCE). She had better play a Bond Villain soon or she'll be relegated to Lifetime movies the rest of her career. Josh Brolin does the best that he can with a role straight out of PICNIC.

His character, however, isn't quite what he seems. A series of flashback montages (overused by the 3rd or 4th time) key us in that there's more to the story of a man who claims at the outset that he's never intentionally hurt another human being. Adele, desperate and lonely, senses his innate goodness, and runs with it, despite the obvious dangers to herself, her child, and to law enforcement, who do a pretty awful job trying to find the convict.

It's a pity when a young girl named Rachel (Elena Kampouris) shows more street smarts than the police. She has a budding romance with Henry and her worldly line readings are one of the few pleasures to be had in the film. Lending feeble support are very talented veterans, J.K. Simmons, Brooke Smith, and James Van Der Beek, none of whom are given much to do, although Smith manages to get a gasp when she initiates the only violent moment in the present day storyline.

I'm giving this film 2 stars because it looks fantastic, and I will admit to getting a little teary-eyed at the end, but I cried during THE NOTEBOOK too, yet it doesn't make it good, just emotionally effective for a few beats. I think even Fabio would find this a tad syrupy.

Photo: MY REVIEW OF LABOR DAY (2 STARS) What starts out as a potentially scary home invasion thriller swiftly descends into Nicholas Sparks territory in Jason Reitman's mostly terrible new film, LABOR DAY. Set during the finals days of summer vacation in 1987 New England (is there any other location more appropriate for mawkish, sentimental claptrap?), the film stars Kate Winslet as a lonely, nearly catatonic divorcee named Adele, who is either raising or being raised by her young son Henry (Gattlin Griffith - in full dewy-eyed but also nearly silent mode). One day, on a rare outing to a department store, they're strongly urged by an escaped convicted murderer (Josh Brolin as Frank) to take him home with them so he can hide out. Injured from his jump out of a second story window, Frank bleeds more than he speaks. In fact, hardly anyone speaks in this film, except for the nail-on-the-head voiceover provided by Tobey Maguire of all people as the older Henry. This is strictly "the summer that changed everything for me" narrative in all of its painful, thuddingly obvious glory. It's telling that the supporting characters talk more than our stars, perhaps because Reitman, who adapted the screenplay from Joyce Maynard's well-regarded novel, wants to add some "meaningful" weight to such flimsy material. The film is beautifully filmed by Reitman's frequent collaborator, cinematographer Eric Steelberg, with some striking compositions, such as the one used in the poster. There's a particularly striking shot of Henry playing a video game and seeing the reflection of his mom and Frank in his screen. Multi-layered, burnished framing isn't everything, and this film goes off the rails shortly after the convict holes up in their home. A very tense situation becomes unbelievable when Frank proves to be a gentle giant who starts cleaning their house, changing tires, and fixing retaining walls. Despite a massive manhunt and neighbors who tend to drop by, he sure doesn't mind tooling around outside. Things get worse when Frank shows his hostages how to make a peach pie. In one of the most ill-advised sequences I've seen in a film all year, the baking turns into a sensual experience along the lines of the pottery sequence in GHOST. The trio's fingers are all churning the peaches around in a bowl, creating the weirdest Mother/Son/Murderer 3-way intermingling ever! Love between Frank and Adele soon follows, because, the bad boys are always hot, right? Soon, they're executing a rumba in the kitchen, followed by sweet, sweet (but strangely offscreen) lovemaking in the boudoir. I didn't buy the love story for a second. Kate Winslet, who is often a staggering actor, is starting to bore me by taking these frumpy housewife roles over and over again (REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, MILDRED PEARCE). She had better play a Bond Villain soon or she'll be relegated to Lifetime movies the rest of her career. Josh Brolin does the best that he can with a role straight out of PICNIC. His character, however, isn't quite what he seems. A series of flashback montages (overused by the 3rd or 4th time) key us in that there's more to the story of a man who claims at the outset that he's never intentionally hurt another human being. Adele, desperate and lonely, senses his innate goodness, and runs with it, despite the obvious dangers to herself, her child, and to law enforcement, who do a pretty awful job trying to find the convict. It's a pity when a young girl named Rachel (Elena Kampouris) shows more street smarts than the police. She has a budding romance with Henry and her worldly line readings are one of the few pleasures to be had in the film. Lending feeble support are very talented veterans, J.K. Simmons, Brooke Smith, and James Van Der Beek, none of whom are given much to do, although Smith manages to get a gasp when she initiates the only violent moment in the present day storyline. I'm giving this film 2 stars because it looks fantastic, and I will admit to getting a little teary-eyed at the end, but I cried during THE NOTEBOOK too, yet it doesn't make it good, just emotionally effective for a few beats. I think even Fabio would find this a tad syrupy.