Review of Lovely & Amazing (2002) by Amy G — 22 Feb 2006

[font=Tahoma][size=2][i]Lovely and Amazing[/i] is one of those films which provokes the extremely uncomfortable twitching I, at least, always experience while watching moments of human embarassment. This reaction always alerts me to the fact that what I'm watching is alarmingly familiar; and, indeed, Nicole Holofcener's female-centric feature can be called nothing if not perceptive. These characters, particularly the one at the centre of the film's only truly successful thread (Catherine Keener), are overall painted with depth and realism. Many of the film's situations and developments are too familiar, but the characters' reactions to them are utterly believable.

However, the film also has the significent problem of being rather svelte; it tracks the fortunes of three sisters over the course of time that their mother (Brenda Blethyn) is in hospital having and recovering from lyposuction, and this time constraint is both overwhelming obvious and painfully short. The film only runs for 89 minutes, and, while the desire to continue these stories is admirable, the fact that Holofcener doesn't let us do this is annoying, as the film ends rather abruptly and without much closure. While this is an interesting change of pace from an American movie, it simply serves to demonstrate why this isn't a frequent technique: our investment in these characters seems a bit cheapened by the lack of a conclusive ending.

However, what comes before could hardly be described as perfect, either. Keener and Emily Mortimer are the two daughters of Blethyn's character, and both suffer from lack of self-asteem and confidence, something which, with her desire to look thinner, they seem to have inherited from their mother. Blethyn has also adopted a young black girl (Raven Goodwin) who Keener is finding it hard to get on with, and who spends much of her time with her "Big Sister", because her white family believe she needs to spend time with someone of her own creed. Though outwardly more confident, Goodwin also suffers from a similar lack of self-asteem, as she repeatedly questions her mother about the colour of her skin. These are all characters who aren't happy with who they are, and are driving people away because of it.

Keener plays Michelle, who's married to Bill (Clark Gregg) and has a daughter of the same age as Annie (Goodwin). Bill is distant and alienated, actually having an affair with Michelle's friend Donna (Dreya Weber), and is unimpressed by Michelle's artwork. He wants her to get a job, which she eventually does; at the one hour photo store, where her boss is 17 year-old Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal), who himself seems rather lonely and unconfident.

Review to be continued.

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